The Tobacco Settlement Act of 2001 established twenty Local Health Departments (LHDs) that cover all 93 counties (see the map below). Many of our local health departments offer preventive dental service programs and a few have actual dental clinics, with Lincoln Lancaster County Health Department being the largest. There are also 135 smaller rural health clinics located within our borders. Most state dental programs partner directly with their local health departments to provide educational, promotional and preventive services at the community level.

The OOHD will collaborate with both the Nebraska Association of Local Health Directors (NALHD) and the Public Health Association of Nebraska to work with local health departments to help assure the provision of oral health services. In addition, the OOHD will partner with the Health Care Association of Nebraska(HCAN), the University of Nebraska College of Dentistry, Creighton University School of Dentistry, the UNMC College of Public Health, and the Nebraska Dental Association as much as possible on all future dental disease prevention projects and program activities.