Infrastructure Development Tools

These resources are provided to assist directors of state oral health programs to plan, develop, implement, and evaluate oral health promotion and disease prevention efforts. The activities listed below describe key components of an effective oral health program, similar to those described in the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) report, Building Infrastructure & Capacity in State Oral Health Programs—April 2000* (PDF–308K). Tools are offered to aid those responsible for day-to-day program planning and management, implementation, building of partnerships, and evaluation.

CDC provides funding and technical assistance to help state and territorial health agencies develop and operate public health programs to improve oral health. Funds have been awarded to 12 states and the Republic of Palau under Program Announcement 3022, State-based Oral Disease Prevention Programs. This approach promotes key program activities and components. Resources and tools developed in collaboration with funded states to build program capacity and infrastructure are being made available on this Web site for interested state and local programs.

Strategies to enhance state infrastructure also are shared with states through periodic Web conferences.

Activity 1: Leadership Capacity

Activity 2: Oral Disease Burden Document

Activity 3: State Oral Health Plan

Activity 4: Statewide Oral Health Coalition

Activity 5: Oral Disease Surveillance System

Activity 6: Policy and Health Systems Strategies

Activity 7: Partnership Development

Activity 8: Evaluation of Oral Health Programs

Activity 9: Community Water Fluoridation Program

Activity 10: School-based/school-linked Dental Sealant Program

Additional Resources

CDC Web conference Series for State Oral Health Programs

Beginning in 2004, CDC initiated a series of Web-based educational presentations to extend access to information provided to states that have a CDC cooperative agreement to those state programs that do not receive these funds. The intent of this series is to enable all states to learn more about ways to build infrastructure and capacity and develop their State-Based Oral Disease Prevention Programs. This medium affords nonfunded states the opportunity to interact with nationally recognized speakers and receive information that funded states have requested. Previous sessions have focused on using logic models, building and sustaining public health coalitions and supporting state surveillance systems.

Previous Web conferences

• Overview: CDC Division of Oral Health, August 31, 2004
• Logic Modeling, October 26, 2004
• Coalition Building, January 25, 2005
• Surveillance/BSS, March 22, 2005
• Program Evaluation, June 21, 2005
• State Fluoridation Program Management, September 27, 2005
• State Oral Health Burden Document, December 20, 2005
• National Research Council Report on Fluoride, March 28, 2006
• Policy Development, June 27, 2006
• State Oral Health Plans, September 26, 2006

For information about any of these previous Web conferences, contact oralhealth@cdc.gov

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Success Stories Workbook
Impact and Value: Telling Your Program’s Story offers public health program managers practical steps for creating success stories that highlight their achievements.

ASTDD Best Practices Project*
Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors and its members, through a cooperative agreement with CDC's Division of Oral Health, provide leadership in seeking best practices in dental public health. The ASTDD Best Practices Project helps build more effective state, territorial, and community oral health programs by promoting public health strategies that are supported by evidence of effectiveness.

Children's Dental Health Project*
The Children's Dental Health Project (CDHP), a Washington, DC-based nonprofit organization, advances policies that improve children's access to oral health care and preventive services. Established in 1997 as a strategic alliance of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Dental Education Association, CDHP forges research-driven policies and innovative solutions by engaging a broad base of partners committed to children and oral health.

Oral Health America*
Oral Health America is a nonprofit organization that develops, implements, and facilitates educational and service programs to raise awareness of oral health's importance to total health. Its Communications Guide (PDF–141K) provides information on how to develop and distribute media outreach materials, including press releases, media alerts, talking points, fact sheets, and press kits.

One or more documents on this Web page is available in Portable Document Format (PDF). You will need Acrobat Reader to view and print these documents.

* Links to non-Federal organizations are provided solely as a service to our users. Links do not constitute an endorsement of any organization by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. The CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at this link.

Page last reviewed: October 29, 2008
Page last modified: August 27, 2007
Content source: Division of Oral Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion