Great Plains Area Dental Support Center

Mission

• The aim of the Great Plains Dental Support Center is to facilitate the application of the dental public health ecological model.
  • Deliver Preventive Oral Health from a multidisciplinary – integrative approach
  • Increase access to care for all age groups through multiple modalities
  • Work collaboratively with all entities federal, tribal, local to leverage our resources to decrease oral health disparities in the region
  • Improve on quality assurance performance improvement metrics
  • Educate – Empower dental – medical staff through up-to-date training
  • Expand on existing programs to provide comprehensive services to patients and the communities
  • Strengthen engagement with HQ Division of Oral Health on Oral Surveillance – to track oral health status in the region

Program Goals

• Decrease the incidence and prevalence of oral health diseases
• Strengthen the school-based programs – Facilitate in achieving GPRA objectives
• Expand HP/DP initiatives
  • Maternal – Prenatal oral Health
  • Elders Initiatives through Tribal collaborative community-based efforts (Sisseton-Oyate – Three Affiliates and others)
  • Oral health Literacy
• Promote collaborative agreement with primary care givers, public health nurses, pediatricians
• Provide training to community health representatives on oral health education - health screening and application of fluoride varnish
• Expand training for the all-service units’ supportive staff on infection control – Expanded functions programs