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The
Office of Oral Health has launched a media campaign to increase
awareness that tooth decay is caused by bacteria passed from mother (or
caregiver) to baby during the first years of a baby’s life:
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Welcome to the Office
of Oral Health's web site! The mission of the Office is to promote oral
health for the well-being of all Arizona residents.
The three primary areas of
focus within the Office of Oral Health include:
1. Prevention
Programs
Prevention Programs include
training of health professionals and oral health programs for children.
Specifically, the team:
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Provides training of health
professionals in the prevention, control and treatment of oral diseases
affecting infants, toddlers and pregnant women.
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Promotes the use of dental
sealants by public and private dental care systems to prevent tooth decay.
The Office administers the Arizona Dental Sealant Program, a school based
program providing sealants to underserved 2nd and 6th grade children.
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Promotes the use of weekly
fluoride mouthrinses for at-risk children to prevent tooth decay.
2. Community
Development
Community Development
initiatives focus on promoting oral health at the state and community
levels. Specifically, the team:
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Promotes optimal fluoridation
of community water supplies for the prevention of tooth decay.
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Assists communities in
assessing their oral health needs and resources.
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Provides assistance to
communities to increase access to oral health services through development of
dental clinics and other dental care systems.
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Provides consultation and
technical assistance to administrators, government agencies, non-profit
organizations and other professional groups to facilitate the delivery of
quality oral health services.
3. Research
and Analysis
The Research and Analysis
team collects, analyzes and distributes Arizona oral health data.
Specifically, the team:
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Conducts assessments of
selected communities to evaluate oral health status and treatment needs for use
in program planning and policy making.
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Monitors dental workforce
issues across the state.
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Assists in Dental Health
Professional Shortage Area designations.
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Tracks information of Office
of Oral Health Programs to improve effectiveness.
The Office of Oral Health
coordinates a number of initiatives and administers five main programs:
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Arizona Dental Sealant
Program
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Fluoride Mouthrinse Program
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Dental Trailer Loan Program
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Community Oral Health Systems
Development Program
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Healthy Teeth, Healthy
Families (Early Childhood Caries prevention program)
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