Since
good oral health is essential to good overall health as well
as to the prevention of oral disease and unnecessary suffering,
oral
health is a major concern of local public health agencies (LPHAs).
A Guide for Developing and Enhancing Community Oral Health
Programs (the Guide) is designed to help LPHAs develop, integrate, expand,
or enhance community oral health programs.
LPHAs are well positioned to work with other community
stakeholders to develop, integrate, expand, or enhance community
oral health programs.
Such stakeholders may include
• State and local government officials
• State public health 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).
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 the
National Association of County and City Health Officers (NACCHO).
The
Framework can be used to help ensure that oral health
is included in LPHAs’ overall
plan. The Guide walks readers through the steps
needed to develop, integrate, expand, or enhance community
oral health
programs.
Although the Guide is organized by steps, the
process of program development, integration, expansion, or enhancement
is not
necessarily linear. In some cases, certain steps may have
already been completed—for
example, mobilizing community support or assessing oral
health needs and existing resources. Conducting several
steps simultaneously
is
an option. It is important to build on and move ahead with
what has already been accomplished.
The steps detailed in the Guide include the following:
1. Mobilize community support
2. Assess needs and existing resources
3. Plan the program
4. Implement the program
5. Evaluate the program
6. Participate in policy development and research
Throughout
the Guide, resources related to each step are identified
and described. Web site addresses are provided
when available.
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