Oklahoma City Area Dental Support Center

The Oklahoma Area Dental Support Center (OCADSC) provides preventive and clinical support, training and technical consultation to all dental programs in the Indian Health Service Oklahoma City Service Area (IHS OCA), which includes 38 federally recognized Tribes in Oklahoma, 4 Tribes in Kansas, 1 Tribe in Texas, and 4 Urban Health Centers.

Mission: To improve the oral health of Oklahoma City Area AI/ANs by providing high quality needs based training and technical assistance to IHS, Tribal, and Urban Indian oral health programs by enhancing the quality, quantity, and acceptability of clinical and preventive oral health services provided.

Vision: One unit...one cause: Native American communities making healthy choices for the good of their circle of life.

Program Objectives:

• Support the delivery of high levels of dental care and increase preventive services and activities within the Oklahoma City Area.
• Increase collaboration on local, state, regional and national levels along with expansion of dental services throughout community and clinical-based preventive initiatives and programs.
• Build supportive administration and infrastructure initiatives by way of collaboration and recruitment.

Dental Support Center Resources for IHS OCA I/T/U Programs:

• Area Dental Roster
• Annual Dental Meeting and Quarterly Continuing Education courses
• Quarterly Newsletters
• Dental site visits and Quality of Care reviews
• Oral Health mini-grants
• Recruitment activities
• Expansion of training for dental assistants
• Mobile van with dental units
• Sealant and fluoride varnish outreach programs
• Fluoride varnish trainings for Head Start staff and Community Health Representatives
• Oral health presentations to I/T/U medical, dental, Head Start, and Tribal day care staff.
• In-service trainings on topics including: GPRA, Infection Control, Quality Assurance, and HP/DP activities.
• Patient pamphlets and educational material
• Tobacco cessation resources.