Santa Cruz County

Overview of Findings

There are a number of barriers to receiving oral care in Santa Cruz County. Key informants stated that children from low-income families of Santa Cruz County are challenged with accessing dental providers who accept Denti-Cal. According to a key informant, less than 25 percent of dentists accept Denti-Cal in the county and children must often delay dental care or are left without care. Another informant stated that there is a lack of public awareness and education on preventative oral care.

The Happy Tooth Program of Santa Cruz County aims to educate children about the importance of dental care. The Happy Tooth Program is collaboration between the county and local school districts. Students learn about daily brushing and flossing techniques in the classroom. Students are also able to receive daily fluoride treatments with parental consent. Additionally, the county offers presentations to the parents of the students that participate in the Happy Tooth Program. The presentations focus on baby bottle tooth decay, nutrition and oral hygiene. This program serves over 34 preschools and elementary schools throughout the county. Last year approximately 6,000 students participated in this program.

Another program that offers dental care for low-income families with children is the Cabrillo Community College Children’s Dental Clinic. The clinic provides low cost dental care and dental hygiene services, which include dental x-rays, cleanings, and sealants.

Fresno County

Data

The following links lead to visual representations of the data collected in the surveys for this county. Maps in the 'slideshow' have accompanying text that helps explain what is visually taking place as well as comparing the results of this county's maps to the results for the rest of the region. The PDF maps have no explanation text and are only the visual image.

View Map Slideshow

Download Map PDFs:

All results (multi-page PDF)

Send Feedback