While the existing dental care delivery system in Nebraska may not need to be drastically changed, it is to our advantage to consider new approaches that focus on prevention and bring partners together to address our existing disparities. The Surgeon General and Healthy People 2020 are now asking our health leaders to take a proactive stance and emphasis reduction of this disease with documented wellness outcomes across the lifespan. This means taking action at the communal level and reaching at-risk populations exactly where they live. The key to success is using local organization involvement and expanding the existing infrastructure and capacity of the many local health departments, federally-qualified health centers, Dental Colleges and private dentists / hygienists that are here in Nebraska.

CDC has established strategies for developing and enhancing the infrastructure and capacity of state oral health programs and for extending community-based preventive programs. The strategies are organized in two components: Component One for basic capacity for collective impact, and Component Two for implementation of evidence-based preventive interventions and strategic approaches to impact health systems and access to clinical preventive services. A list of strategies that fall within these two components can be seen blow.

Component One strategies:

• Develop program leadership and staff capacity.
• Develop and coordinate partnerships with a focus on prevention interventions; establish and sustain a diverse, statewide, oral health coalition; and collaborate and integrate with disease prevention programs.
• Develop or enhance oral health surveillance.
• Build evaluation capacity.
• Assess facilitators/barriers to advancing oral health.
• Develop plans for state oral health programs and activities.
• Implement communications activities to promote oral disease prevention.

Component Two strategies:

• Maintenance of Component One strategies.
• Coordinate /Implement school-based/-linked sealant programs, targeting low-income and/or rural settings.
• Collect and report sealant program data to track program efficiency and reach.
• Collect and report program data and track policy changes on community water fluoridation.
• Educate on the benefits of community water fluoridation.
• Promote and provide support for quality control and management of fluoridated water systems.
• Implement strategies to affect the delivery of targeted clinical preventive services and health systems changes.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Division of Oral health; Last updated 1/15/2013. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/OralHealth/state_programs/cooperative_agreements/.