The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Dentistry has received $9 million from the child advocacy group First 5 LA to increase dental care access for infants and young children.
This funding is in response to an urgent need for improved oral healthcare for Los Angeles children from birth to age 5, especially young Latinos and African-Americans who are at high risk for early dental disease, according to a university press release.
UCLA will collaborate with the Child Care Alliance of Los Angeles, the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County, Safety Net Solutions, and the Sesame Workshop. The organizations will work with about a dozen community clinics in the Los Angeles area to establish a "dental home" model of care for young children. The services provided will be delivered in a continuously accessible and family-centered way by licensed dentists and other healthcare providers.
The First 5 LA 21st Century Community Dental Homes Project will not only deliver dental care to young children, it will also work to increase parents' and child care providers' awareness of the importance of oral healthcare for preschool children and develop a sustainable community "dental home" model of care for the children.
