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Advocacy - Dental Sealants: Access to Prevention

DENTAL SEALANTS: ACCESS TO PREVENTION

Advocacy

A-Z Resources

By Title or Subject

Data and Information for Advocacy

These resources provide information that is beneficial when communicating with elected officials about the state of oral health in the United States and the importance of addressing it.

FTCA Health Center Policy Manual

This page contains information useful in advocating for school based sealant programs, including research resources documenting their effectiveness.

FTCA for Health Centers

These resources are provided to assist safety-net oral health providers in advancing one of the ten great Public Health Achievements of the 20th Century as identified by the CDC.

NNOHA’s Mission:

To improve the oral health of underserved populations and contribute to overall health through leadership, advocacy, and support to oral health providers in safety-net systems.

NNOHA’s Values:

  • Oral health is integrated with primary care.

  • Evidence-based dental disease management models are in place.

  • Every Health Center has an oral health program.

  • Oral health providers have the information, education, skills, resources, and support they need to deliver efficient, high quality services.

  • We value collaboration with other entities as we pursue our vision.

Who We Are:

National Network for Oral Health Access envisions a future in which individuals and communities are aware of the importance of oral health to overall health, engage in recommended oral health practices, and receive affordable, high quality oral health services. Achieving this vision requires everyone to have access to care, regardless of income or geography.

Access is created by strengthening and expanding the nation’s oral health safety-net system.

NNOHA was founded in 1991 by a group of Dental Directors from Federally Qualified Community Health Centers who identified a need for peer-to-peer networking, collaboration, research and support in running effective oral health program. From those humble beginnings, NNOHA’s membership has grown to represent the full diversity of safety-net oral health providers and has become a leader in strengthening and supporting the oral health safety-net.

NNOHA provides resources and learning opportunities ranging from the Operations Manual that outlines the best approaches to running an efficient and effective practice, to the Annual Conference which provides both training and networking opportunities for participants.

Integrated Care

A Patient-Centered Health Home is created when all health care team members work together for improved health, enhanced patient experience, and control the cost of care. This is a new approach to dentistry, and these resources will help you make the shift.

Quality Improvement Starter Kit

This resource, developed by AFL Enterprises, includes virtual training resources that can be used to share quality improvement techniques and practices more widely within your health center.

Accessing Meaningful Use EHR Incentive Payments

This  step-by-step quick start guide for dental providers provides information  on how to access and receive Meaningful Use EHR incentive payments.

Are you an oral health advocate?

Have you ever:

  • Encouraged a patient to do something to improve their oral health?

  • Told a friend or family member about why having access to oral health care is important for everyone?

  • Posted an article relating to oral health on your Facebook page?

  • Written an email to an elected official?

  • Spoken to a group, like a local rotary, about oral health or safety-net services?

NNOHA envisions a future in which everyone knows the importance of oral health and has access to care, but we cannot do that without you. You are the trusted expert in your community, and we are here to support you so you can both be a great practitioner and a great oral health advocate.

CMS.gov – EHR Incentive Programs

This official website of the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Records (EHR) Incentive Programs provides information on overview of the programs, eligibility, CQMs, certified technology, and FAQs.

Conference Presentation Archives

As available, slides from past presentations at the NNOHA Annual Conference (previously the National Primary Oral Health Conference) will be posted.

Dental Dashboard

NNOHA partnered with Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation, Washington Dental Service Foundation, and AFL Enterprises, LLC to create a Dental Dashboard and User’s Guide.

Diagnostic Codes Fact Sheet

This document provides a summary of a conference call on diagnostic code usage, benefits and barriers of integrating diagnostic codes in Health Center oral health programs.

Diagnostic Codes in Health Center-Safety-Net Oral Health Programs

This report highlights findings of an environmental scan conducted in June 2012 to assess the knowledge base and current scope of usage of diagnostic codes.

Electronic Medical and Dental Record Integration Options

These resources explain the varying levels of integration among different EMR/EDR configurations.

Feasibility Calculator: Smart Mouths, Smart Kids

This feasibility calculator helps assess the financial sustainability of school-based oral health programs. 

HIT White Paper – Guide to the Future Ver. 1: Using HIT to Improve Oral Health Access and Outcomes

This paper gives context for a discussion on the benefits of integrated dental HIT and serves to educate important stakeholders.

HIT White Paper – Guide to the Future Ver. 2: A Strategic Roadmap to Achieving Meaningful Use Objectives and Selecting an Integrated Electronic Dental Record (EDR)/Electronic Health Record (EHR) System to Improve Oral Health Access and Outcomes

This paper serves as a guide in the EDR-EHR selection process and meeting the Meaningful Use criteria, facilitating the Health Centers’ decision making process toward improved use of HIT.

Special Care: An Oral Health Professional’s Guide to Serving Young Children with Special Health Care Needs

This resource, developed by the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center, is a series of five modules is designed to provide oral health professionals with information to help ensure that young children with special health care needs have access to health promotion and disease prevention services that address their unique oral health needs in a comprehensive, family-centered, and community-based manner. CE credit is available.

The Balancing Act: FQHC Dental Program Productivity and Financial Impact

This webinar explores emerging challenges facing Health Center dental programs and discusses how to operate a FQHC dental program in changing environments.

Using the Capabilities of eClinicalWorks (eCW) to Create Patient Centered Care in Dental Programs

In this promising practice, Community Healthcare Network in Brooklyn, NY shares how the dental program uses eCW order sets during the dental visit, which allows for enhanced data collection and coordination of care.

Vendor Selection Spreadsheet

The guide includes key criteria to identify which EDR/EHR systems can achieve interoperability between EDR and EHR systems, meet national Meaningful Use objectives and are capable of reporting NNOHA’s proposed clinical quality measures for oral health.

Financial Management Part II for Health Center Oral Health Programs

A follow-up to the first session, “Financial Management of Health Center Oral Health Programs,” this webinar covers several topics more in-depth and answers some frequently asked questions.

Financial Management of Health Center Oral Health Programs

This webinar provides basics of financial management for effectively operating Health Center oral health programs.

Creating Access Points

Many safety-net providers are going beyond the four walls of their clinics to provide new access points – in schools, through teledentistry, and more.

NNOHA Merchandise

Check out what's new for the 2022 NNOHA Annual Conference along with our classic NNOHA items.

Benefits of Oral HIV Testing in the Dental Chair

This promising practice describes an initiative designed to increase the number of oral HIV testing conducted during a dental examination.

Donate

Making a gift to the National Network for Oral Health Access is one of the easiest ways to positively impact our work, enhance our services, and help our community strengthen and increase access to oral health services.  NNOHA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

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Denver, CO  80216


Phone: (303) 957-0635
Fax: (866) 316-4995

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NNOHA is the largest group of safety-net oral health practitioners in the country, and our members all share a commitment to increasing access to quality oral health care for underserved populations. NNOHA is committed to providing the highest quality resources and support designed to meet the unique needs of our members and their programs.

Dental Sealants: Access to Prevention

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