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Introduction
A Guide for Developing and Enhancing
Community Oral Health Programs, which was developed by oral
health and public health experts, is
designed to help local public health agencies (LPHAs) develop new
community oral health programs, integrate new or enhanced oral
health programs into existing public health programs, or expand
or enhance existing oral health programs. LPHAs are encouraged
to work with public- and private-sector partners and to use local
resources in the process of developing, integrating, expanding,
or enhancing community oral health programs.
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Companions
in Improving Community Oral Health |
The Framework, 
a
policy document for local and state health directors
describing
the integration of oral health into the 10 essential
public health services.
The Guide,
a “how-to” information
and resource guide for developing, enhancing, or
expanding community oral health. programs. |
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The National Association
of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) has estimated that only approximately 658 of the nearly
3,000 LPHAs
operating in the United States include oral health programs.5 Since
LPHAs are ideally positioned to promote the availability, accessibility,
and quality of oral health services, we hope that the agencies
without oral health programs will consider developing such programs,
while those with programs will expand or enhance them or integrate
them into existing public health programs.
Developing, integrating, expanding, or enhancing community oral
health programs requires the involvement of an array of community
stakeholders. Such stakeholders may include
- State public health officials
- State, county, and city government officials
- Local public health officials and administrators
- Health professionals, including oral health professionals
- Community oral health coalitions and organizations
- Local nonprofit health agencies, organizations, and
institutions
- Others involved with advocating for, planning, and
implementing community oral health programs
The Guide is a companion document
to A Model
Framework for Community Oral Health Programs: Based Upon the
Ten Essential Public Health Services.
The Framework is a
policy document describing the integration of oral health into
the 10 essential public health services that officially guide
the membership of NACCHO. The Framework is a powerful
tool that can
be used in gaining support for oral health programming in LPHAs.
The Framework is used to help ensure that oral health
is integrated into LPHAs and services. The Guide walks
readers through the steps needed to develop, integrate, expand,
or enhance community
oral
health programs.
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