Ramos-Gomez Earns Oral Health Service Award

Dr. Karen Sokal-Gutierrez and Dr. Francisco Ramos-Gomez
Dr. Francisco Ramos-Gomez (right) poses with Dr. Karen Sokal-Gutierrez, scientific chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section of Oral Health, and his 2022 AAP Oral Health Service Award.
October 11, 2022

Francisco Ramos-Gomez, D.D.S., M.S., M.P.H., Chair of the UCLA School of Dentistry's Division of Preventative and Restorative Sciences, received the Oral Health Service Award at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference & Exhibition in Anaheim, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 8.

The annual award recognizes an individual who, during the course of their career, has made significant contributions to the advancement of pediatric oral health through activities within the academy.

Dr. Ramos-Gomez, who is dedicated to eliminating income and racial disparities in children's oral health, serves as director of both the UCLA Center for Children’s Oral Health and UCLA Pediatric Dentistry Advanced Clinical Training Program. His research has focused on early childhood caries prevention, oral disease risk assessment, and community health in underserved and vulnerable populations.

Dr. Ramos-Gomez developed a six-step protocol for the age 1 visit that healthcare providers from any discipline can use to provide preventive oral health care and education. He contributed to the development of the Caries Management by Risk Assessment (CAMBRA) tool to establish an effective and proven caries risk assessment tool.

“Receiving the Oral Health Service Award is an especially amazing and gratifying experience because it is a recognition from my AAP-MD peers in pediatrics,” said Ramos-Gomez. “There is so much incredible work in medical-dental integration being done across the country to improve the overall well-being of children, but much more is needed! I’m grateful that the UCLA School of Dentistry has empowered me and my team to focus on preventing disease, treating medically underserved populations, and providing appropriate education about the importance of good oral health for achieving total health.”

The AAP is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists, and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety, and well-being of the nation’s infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. During this week’s National Conference & Exhibition, Ramos-Gomez presented on "Preventing and Arresting Cavities in Medically Underserved Children,” which is also the focus of this recent AAP feature story.