March xx, 2007
For Immediate Release

New Oral Health Law Highlights Importance of Dental Care
Check-up Required for Children before May 31

Alameda, CA - Recent legislation, AB 1433 (Emmerson/Laird), requires a child attending a public school to present proof of a dental evaluation by May 31 of their first year in public school, at kindergarten or first grade.

More than two-thirds of California's children suffer from tooth decay, according to the 2005 Dental Health Foundation's California Smile Survey. Tooth decay is progressive and if not treated medically, can continue chronically unless the underlying infection is addressed. It can lead to a variety of developmental problems for children, including impaired speech development due to tooth loss, low self-esteem, academic challenges due to missed school days and nutritional issues caused by difficulty in eating.

"Dental health is important and should not be neglected. Children need ongoing preventive dental care just as they do medical care to maintain optimal health," states Alameda Alliance for Health Chief Medical Director Dr. Arthur Chen.

Chen adds, "This is a great opportunity to remind parents of the value of preventive health screenings, which can help to identify problems in children before they become more serious. We support the American Academy of Pediatrics' policy of promoting a dental assessment by age 6 months. At the same time, we want to encourage parents to seek ongoing dental services and dental coverage for their children."

Regular dental and medical checkups are essential to ensure a child's healthy development and prepare them to enter school ready to learn. There are several health coverage programs available that include dental care such as Medi-Cal, Healthy Families and the Healthy Kids program. Alameda Alliance for Health, the local not-for-profit health plan in Alameda County, offers these health coverage options, which would help parents fulfill the dental evaluation requirement.

In situations where a dental check-up cannot be obtained, parents may be excused from this requirement by filling out the form provided by the child's school. Copies of the required form are also available at the California Department of Education Web site at http://www.cde.ca.gov/.

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Alameda Alliance for Health, established in 1996, is a local not-for-profit, state-licensed health plan providing low-cost and no-cost comprehensive health care services to nearly 85,000 Alameda County residents. Alliance members choose from a network of more than 1,700 community doctors, 15 hospitals, 29 community clinics and more than 140 pharmacies. For more information on the Alliance and its programs, visit www.alamedaalliance.org

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