Public health, including oral public health must shift in thinking and functions: From individual program efforts to team accountability, from client focused to family/community focused, from discipline competence to team/community competence, from cooperate with a few to cooperation with stakeholders, from commitment to job to commitment to vision, goals and mission, and from decision based on funding requirements to decision driven by data, research and systems thinking. Through prevention, community ownership, ethical decision and actions, and commitment to a scientific process the promotion of the physical, mental, spiritual, and social well being of children and families through partnerships with communities can be accomplished. Guiding principles in family health, the 7 C’s, begin upon a base of competence and commitment, and move forward from cooperation, to communication, to coordination, to collaboration and finally community at the apex. Family health and oral health goals are to improve health status, improve services, and build system capacity. To accomplish these goals oral health focuses on system development, improving coordination and collaboration between programs, and facilitating integration of services. Oral health is becoming integrated through all populations by providing program guidance, specific area expertise, and technical assistance. Thinking and function shift from 1) program-based to population-base, 2) individual program initiatives to branch vision, goals and mission, 3) collaboration within programs to collaboration across programs and 4) illness/disease oriented to prevention oriented. Examples of integrating oral health across populations will be provided.
Learning Objectives: To illustrate examples of the integration of oral health across population groups served by family health
Keywords: Oral Health,
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.