Implementation of Evidence-Based Preventive Interventions

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention works with funded state health departments to establish sustainable public health infrastructure and implement interventions that evidence shows improves oral health. These interventions focus on reducing disparities in tooth decay and increasing collaboration between medical and dental health care.
State oral health programs are expected to develop and maintain basic infrastructure that is needed to implement public health programs. Once these basic strategies are established, the program should create and expand the following oral health interventions:

1. Expand sealant delivery in low-income and rural schools.
2. Increase the proportion of the population with access to optimally fluoridated water.
3. Implement strategies to affect the delivery of targeted clinical preventative services and health systems change.

These strategies have their foundation in the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) reports and were refined through previous CDC cooperative agreements with state public health programs. Key resources include the following:

• Building Infrastructure & Capacity in State and Territorial Oral Health Programs—April 2000 [PDF–308KB]
• State Oral Health Infrastructure and Capacity: Reflecting on Progress and Charting the Future [PDF–1.1MB]
• Healthy People 2020  focus area: Oral Health
• CDC Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Domains [PDF-107 KB]