Welcome to the CHAMPS Oral Health Resources webpage. CHAMPS developed this online resource to support Region VIII health centers in providing quality oral health care in the primary care setting.

Please click or scroll down for:
Articles and Reports
Continuing Education, Conferences, and Networking
Evidence-Based Clinical Guidelines
Operations and Dental Clinic Start-Up
Patient Education Materials
Provider Tools and Education
Other Online Resources

ARTICLES AND REPORTS

American Dental Association (ADA)
Breaking Down Barriers to Oral Health for All Americans: Repairing the Tattered Safety Net

Statement from the American Dental Association, Series on Access to Oral Health Care
(August 2011)

National Academy of Medicine (NAM)
What is the Value of Social Determinants of Health in Dental Education?
A commentary that argues incorporating social determinants of health is a necessary shift to ensure that the future dental workforce is prepared to improve health outcomes for their patients (April 2020)

National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA)
Oral Health and the Patient-Centered Health Home
An action guide based on NNOHA’s needs assessment of health centers that have made substantial progress towards integrating oral health in their patient-centered health home (February 2012)

National Interprofessional Initiative on Oral Health
Oral Health: An Essential Component of Primary Care
A white paper addressing the delivery of preventive oral health care in the primary care setting to expand access for nearly all patients, particularly high-risk and vulnerable patients who bear the greatest burden of oral health disease (June 2015)

The PEW Center on the States
A Costly Dental Destination: Hospital Care Means States Pay Dearly
Issue brief from the PEW Children’s Dental Campaign (February 2012)

US Department of Health and Human Service
Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General
A report that aims to define, describe, and evaluate the interaction between oral health and general health and well-being (quality of life), through the life span, in the context of changes in society (2000)

CONTINUING EDUCATION, CONFERENCES, AND NETWORKING

National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA)
NNOHA Annual Conference
Typically held in October each year, the annual NNOHA Conference addresses a national audience with topics pertinent to all types of oral health staff who work and practice in safety net clinics

NNOHA Listserv
NNOHA’s Listserv promotes networking and learning among Health Center and safety-net dental directors, dentists, dental hygienists, and other staff members working to improve access to quality oral healthcare

EVIDENCE-BASED CLINICAL GUIDELINES

American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD)
2014-15 Definitions, Oral Health Policies, and Clinical Guidelines
Includes clinical practice guidelines on various topics such as caries-risk assessment/management, perinatal oral health, management of dental patients with special needs, fluoride therapy, xylitol use in caries prevention, use of nitrious oxide, restorative dentistry, pulp therapy, use of antibiotics, and much more

OPERATIONS AND DENTAL CLINIC START-UP

ADA
Give Kids A Smile Toolbox
Resources for dentists and other team members interested in implementing the Give Kids A Smile Day program in their community, including a step-by-step timetable, planning and promotions guides, and listing of legal considerations

CHAMPS
Salary, Benefits, Turnover, and Vacancy Survey Report

Analysis of Region VIII health center salary survey data including information on dental director, dentist, and dental hygienist positions, available for purchase or for free online to CHAMPS organizational members

National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center
Safety Net Dental Clinic Manual
Six-chapter, free manual designed to help dental clinics with operations and clinic development, including 1) Partnerships and Planning, 2) Facility Design and Staffing, 3) Finances, 4) Clinic Operations, 5) Quality Improvement, and 6) Program Sustainability (2011)

National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA)
NNOHA provides a number of valuable resources for starting and operating a dental clinic. See below for NNOHA’s resources on starting a clinic, operations, and workforce development:

Spanish Translated Resources
Operational Resources
Resource including a selection NNOHAs most popular operational resources translated into Spanish

Start-Up
How to Start a Dental Clinic: NNOHA Oral Health Program Start-Up Resources Toolkit

Webinars, operations information, budget information, needs assessment, and helpful external links for starting a dental clinic

Operations
Dental Forms Library

Variety of forms available in English, some Spanish, and other languages, including consent and refusal, policies and procedures, patient information, guidelines and instructions, and education

Operations Manual for Health Center Oral Health Programs
Six free downloadable chapters, or printed chapters for purchase, on operating a health center oral health program, including 1) Health Center Fundamentals, 2) Leadership, 3) Financials, 4) Risk Management, 5) Workforce and Staffing, and 6) Quality

PATIENT EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS

American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD)
Parent Information Brochures
Parent education brochures on common pediatric oral health topics including diet and snacking, fluoride, sealants, finger and pacifier habits, and more

American Dental Association (ADA)
Mouth Healthy: Babies and Kids
Information on children’s dental health for parents

Cavity Free at Three
Patient Education Resources
Parent education brochures for suitable for both medical and dental offices aimed at children and prenatal women. Brochures are available in a variety of languages. Also contains patient videos on fluoride varnish, teeth brushing instruction, and well-child visits

CHAMPS
Dental Goals for Diabetics
Customizable, downloadable patient education handout available in English and Spanish

Department of Health and Human Services
Healthy People 2020 Oral Health Resources
Overview, objectives, interventions, resources, and national data

Head Start
Oral Health Resources for Families
Resources that can help families learn about oral health for pregnant women, infants, and young children

Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA)
A Healthy Mouth for Everybody Campaign
This campaign has resources to help everyone protect their mouths and live well at any age, including patient education tools and quick tips.

HIV Dent
Dental Patient Education Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) on routine dental care issues for HIV-positive patients

National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center
Bright Futures Toolbox: Resources for Children, Adolescents, and Families

Resources for children, adolescents, and families including information about how to find care, non-English language materials, and patient education handouts

PROVIDER TOOLS AND EDUCATION

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
Tiny Teeth Toolkit
This toolkit contains materials for both patient outreach and education around oral health as well as clinical resources to help integrate oral health into your practice.

Campaign for Dental Health
Provider Resources
A project of the American Academy of Pediatrics to educate providers and families about fluoride and community water fluoridation. Provider tools include infographics, sharable messaging campaigns, and videos

Addressing Tobacco in Dental Settings: A Resource for Dental Professionals
Resource on how and why oral health professionals should address tobacco use in their patients

Cavity Free at Three
Provider Resources
Provider tools include Oral Health provider kits for children and pregnant women as well as cavity risk assessment forms and oral health guidelines and clinical considerations for children

National Health Care for the Homeless Council (NHCHC) & National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA)
Oral Health and Behavioral Health in Patients Experiencing Homelessness
NNOHA and the National Health Care for the Homeless Council developed this publication to bring awareness to the intersection of oral health and behavioral health concerns or cognitive impairment in people experiencing homelessness. The publication will share the impacts of behavioral health illness on oral health and how behavioral health and dental providers can work together to address this intersection in their practices.

Oral Health and Diabetes in Patients Experiencing Homelessness (March 2019)
Fact sheet highlights linkages between periodontal disease, diabetes, and homelessness and frequently asked questions related to understanding and caring for individuals who are experiencing homelessness

Health Information Technology Resource Guide for Community Health Center Dental Programs (January 2022)
This guide provides technical assistance on several IT topics including a process for selecting management software and an electronic dental record for community health centers.

National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA)
Promising Practice: Behavioral & Oral Health Integration
The partnership between the dental department and behavioral health consultants has improved the quality of health care and increased access to care. This promising practice shares Community Health Centers of South Central Texas’ strategies for integrating the two disciplines.

Teledentistry User’s Guide
This user’s Guide gives an overview of teledentistry, describes its use in health center dental programs, and includes practical tools for implementing teledentistry.

Using Teledentistry to Ensure Continuity of Care during COVID-19 (Spanish)
This practice shares how Petaluma Health Center used teledentistry during COVID-19. This publication is translated into Spanish.

National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center
Bright Futures Toolbox: Resources for Health Professionals and Human Service Providers

Resources for health professionals and human services providers including education and training, screening/risk assessment tools, webinars, posters, public education, and multimedia

Opioids and Children and Adolescents: Information for Oral Health Professionals
Provides best practices for care on drugs to recommend before prescribing opioids and information about prescribing opioids with caution and being aware of the potential for misuse or abuse

Oral Health During Pregnancy: A National Consensus Statement
Provides guidance on oral health care for pregnant women for both prenatal care health professionals and oral health professionals, pharmacological considerations for pregnant women, and guidance for health professionals to share with pregnant women

Promoting Oral Health in Schools: A Resource Guide
Designed for health professionals who work in or with schools to promote oral health for children and adolescents and features descriptions and links to materials on care, dental sealants, education, fluorides, program development, surveillance, and federally funded project final reports

Office of Minority Health (OMH), HHS
Think Cultural Health: Cultural Competency Program for Oral Health Providers

Three-course e-learning program designed to equip providers with the knowledge, skills, and awareness to best deliver oral health services to all patients, regardless of cultural or linguistic background

Smiles for Life
National Oral Health Curriculum
Educational resources to ensure the integration of oral health and primary care including courses offering oral health continuing education credits

School-Based Health Alliance
School Oral Health Resource Library
A platform that simplifies and streamlines the search for and identification of relevant resources for those engaged in school-based oral health at the national, state, and local levels

Temple University Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry
Nutrition Counseling for Obesity Prevention in Children: A Handbook for the Dental Community
Resource for dental professionals and dental clinics interested in playing a role in childhood obesity prevention

OTHER ONLINE RESOURCES

American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
www.aapd.org

American Dental Association (ADA)
www.ada.org

American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA)
www.adha.org

American Association for Dental Research (AADR)
www.iadr.org/AADR

American Public Health Association (APHA), Oral Health
www.apha.org/membergroups/sections/aphasections/oral

American Association of Public Health Dentistry
www.aaphd.org

Association of State & Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD)
www.astdd.org

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Oral Health Resources
www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/index.htm

Children’s Dental Health Project (CDHP)
www.cdhp.org

Dental Lifeline Network 
www.dentallifeline.org

Families USA
Oral Health Recess Toolkit Putting Teeth in Medicare for All
familiesusa.org/resources/putting-teeth-in-medicare-for-all-an-august-recess-toolkit-for-oral-health

Healthy People 2020, Oral Health
www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=32

Hispanic Dental Association (HDA)
www.hdassoc.org

National Coalition of Dentists for Health Equity
www.dentistsforhealthequity.org

National Dental Association
www.ndaonline.org

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
www.nidcr.nih.gov

National Maternal & Child Oral Health Resource Center
www.mchoralhealth.org

National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA)
www.nnoha.org

The Oral Cancer Foundation
oralcancerfoundation.org