DESCRIPTION:
The statistics are staggering: Only 44.7 percent of all in children in Ventura County covered by MediCal (57,876) were seen by a dentist in 2011-12 AND only 38 percent of all children under age 6 in Ventura County & covered by MediCal were seen by a dentist in 2011-12.

A new collaborative comprised of United Way of Ventura County, First 5 Ventura County, the Santa Barbara/Ventura Counties Dental Care Foundation, Ventura County Public Health and the Ventura County Office of Education, was established to develop an integrated approach to oral health; to create a framework to address advocacy, education, prevention and treatment; and to ensure a healthy community where no child suffers needlessly from dental disease due to a lack of dental care. This collaborative is similar to what has been done in other communities throughout California.