Northwest Tribal Dental Support Center
Mission:
It is well documented that American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) carry a disproportionate burden of oral disease. According to the IHS 1999 Oral Health Survey, the majority of AI/AN children have tooth decay, most adults have lost teeth because of dental disease, periodontal disease is a significant problem for adults, and there is limited access to both preventive and restorative dental care. Profound health disparities exist between the oral health status of AI/ANs in the Pacific Northwest compared to non-AI/ANs in the same area. These differences result from multiple etiologies, but one clearly identifiable factor is the loss of dental public health infrastructure by the Indian Health Service over the last decade. The Indian Health Service (IHS) has made additional funds available to create dental support centers with the goal to improve the oral health of AI/AN people. The Northwest Tribal Dental Support Center (NTDSC) is currently in its seventh year of operation.
Goals:
The overall goal of the NTDSC is to improve the oral health of American Indian and Alaska Native people in the Pacific Northwest.
The accomplishments of the NTDSC in meeting our clinical and health promotion/disease prevention (HP/DP) objectives can be attributed to the fierce commitment of those dental providers in the Northwest who have worked both independently and collaboratively to achieve these objectives, adopting them as their own, and putting in the time and effort required to improve the oral health of the people they serve.
Strategies/Objectives:
Services provided by the NTDSC include preventive and clinical on-site dental program reviews at 8-12 dental clinics each year, including closeout presentations and follow-up with comprehensive written reports. The objectives of the NTDSC are to increase overall dental access, increase access for patients with diabetes, increase use of sealants, and increase use of topical fluoride treatments. The NTDSC is currently expanding its prevention initiatives to include the prevention and treatment of periodontal diseases among patients with diabetes. The dental support center also assists dental programs in planning and evaluating HP/DP initiatives by assisting them with grant writing, along with the collection, analysis, and interpretation of local oral health data. Furthermore, the dental support center identifies training needs and provides Area-wide training opportunities. All of the objectives of the dental support center are supported through ongoing communication with local dental programs via site visits, email groups, telephone consultation, and an annual Prevention Coordinators’ meeting. Finally, the dental support center works with IHS Headquarters by actively participating with the national IHS HP/DP Committee, and presentations at IHS Updates or other national meetings as identified.
Tribes Served:
33 Dental Clinics in Oregon, Washington and Idaho.
Funding:
Indian Health Service
