Adoption

Who in the community would be able to adopt this intervention? How does the intervention serve the needs of the community?

 

Adoption describes how each intervention is implemented throughout the community.  It includes all major players who are initiating and carrying out these programs for the benefit of those individuals not practicing good oral health.

 

1. Community Water Fluoridation: 

  • Water Fluoridation is a policy implemented by state and city government officials who receive the necessary education and training via the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • Water treatment professionals will record valuable data in CDC databases which will benefit future research
  • Once the state officials and water treatment professionals have been educated, it is ultimately up to them to decide whether or not to begin the intervention
  • Community water fluoridation will reach all citizens within a city’s population that utilize the city’s tap water giving all individuals the proven benefit of fluoride

water treatment

 

2. Coordinated School Health Programs:

  • Public health officials at the federal, state, and community levels utilize statistical analyses to determine which school districts have the largest number of affected children
  • Officials collaborate with local dentists and practitioners to organize delivery of health promotion clinics, affordable oral health care, and dental sealants to these children
  • Both the CDC and ADA (American Dental Association) monitor the results of these programs through the collection of data
  • School-based oral health programs have a large impact on the most vulnerable at-risk groups, including children from low-income families
  • The communities chosen for these programs usually have a high number of children eligible for federal reduced cost lunch programs

Dental volunteers

 

3. Additional Programs:

  • Give Kids a Smile Day, the OHIO Project, and H.O.M.E. Coach are all organized at the community level, rather than having federal or state funding
    • During Give Kids a Smile Day, dental professionals volunteer their services to serve the underprivileged
    • Their services directly aid children in lower social classes
  • With the help of government funded grants, The Ohio State University College of Dentistry is better educating their students through more hands on learning than ever before
    • Both the OHIO Project and H.O.M.E. Coach deliver excellent and affordable healthcare to the highest at-risk groups
    • Dental students are receiving better hands-on experience that will strongly improve their ability to serve in the future