Educational Services Depts

Select ---------------------- CD&FS Home Child Development Serv. Community Connection... Network for Children Dental Health Network

KCCDHN Links

Ask a Hygienist
Home
For Centers & Preschools
For Nurses
For Parents
East Kern Dental Services
For School Staff
KCCDHN Forms
Links
Meet Our Dental Team
Meet Our Staff
News Bites & More
Our Services
Research
Special Needs
En Español
Locate a Dentist for your Child
Oral Health Lending Library

Fast Facts:

California’s children have twice as much untreated decay as their national counterparts.

Only 10% of California’s 8-year olds get sealants for their first permanent molars.

Only 30% of Californians currently receive the benefits of fluoridated water.

Kern County Children’s Dental Health Network
1800 30th Street, Ste. #230
Bakersfield, CA 93301
Tel: 661.377.0322 or 661.377.0323
Fax: 661.377.0329

KCCDHN
Kern County Children's Dental Health Network

Providing children's dental services at school

The Kern County Children’s Dental Health Network (KCCDHN) began providing dental services for Kern County children in December, 2000. The program was developed as a partnership between the Kern County Superintendent of Schools and West Kern Community College District (Taft College Dental Hygiene Program). The program is funded by First 5-Kern (Proposition 10). The primary goal of the mobile school-based dental program is to decrease the amount of decay in children, 1-5 years of age by improving access to dental services.

The dental services are provided by a cadre of KCCDHN staff including Stacy Eastman, DDS, 5 local pediatric dentists, Daniel Launspach, DDS; Daniel Purdy DMD; Edward Dove, DDS PC; Robert Bang DDS; and Kurt W. Sturz, DMD MS; 4 Dental Hygienists in Alternative Practice; and 25 second-year dental hygiene students from Taft College Dental Hygiene Program.

The dental hygiene students provide the preventive services at a school site, under the direction of Stacy Eastman DDS. Their services include oral health education, an oral screening, a plaque index, a prophylaxis, application of fluoride, and sealants, if age appropriate. Children who are identified as needing further treatment are then given the opportunity to be treated by one of the local subcontracted pediatric dentists, Dr. Launspach DDS, Dr. Purdy DDS, Dr. Dove DDS or Dr. Bang DDS in their respective offices. There are no fees for any of the dental services provided.

July Newsbite: White Filling or Silver? That is the Question. Also, it is controversial question asked in dentistry today.  To date, there are no scientific studies that prove amalgam fillings are harmful to patients’ health.  However, there are no conclusive studies that prove its safety either.  So, although there is no absolute answer to this question as far as health is concerned, there are considerations that should be tailored to the individual’s needs, preferences, location, and size of the decay.   Before we explore the variations and evaluate the pros and cons of both types of restorations (fillings), there are some interesting facts to know. To put to rest some fear regarding the bad rep that silver (amalgam) fillings have received over the last few years, did you know that less than 1% of the population has an actual allergy to amalgam fillings?  Although dental personnel are exposed to mercury more and have 4-5 times more mercury in their urine than the average person, they do not have a higher incidence of neurological (such as multiple sclerosis) or gastrointestinal diseases as has been suggested.  In fact, the amount of mercury released from chewing is extremely small (1-3 micrograms), and is less than what patients are exposed to everyday from air, water, fish, and other foods (5-6 micrograms per day). Read More...