Connections across organizations, individuals, and oral public health efforts are a critical part of the Colorado oral health network. By leveraging shared resources, aligning strategies, and forming partnerships, we can more effectively impact oral health inequities and improve the oral health of Colorado communities.
Engagement in the oral health network enables broad-based initiatives, shared resources, and advocacy that maximize resources and impact such as health care policy, oral health equity, community-based programs, professional workforce development, and general industry advancement.
See below for ways to get connect with the oral public health in Colorado, the oral health network, and CDPHE’s Oral Health Unit (OHU).
The Framework to Advance Oral Health Equity in Colorado (“Framework”) outlines the key goals and strategies to achieve a shared vision to eliminate oral health inequities in Colorado. The Framework, created with input from community organizations and representatives, the oral health network, multi-sector contributors, and state and local government, is intended to guide collective and individual organizational activities of those who impact oral health in Colorado to achieve this shared vision. See the Colorado Oral Health Strategies page to read the Framework, connect to the process, and get involved.
Cavity Free at Three (CF3) trains medical professionals, oral health professionals, clinic staff, and academic institutions to provide preventive oral health care for children and pregnant people. Visit the CF3 program page to find resources for this age group, connect around training, and partner to advance perinatal and early childhood oral health.
Visit the Community Water Fluoridation (CWF) page to find resources, data, and information about fluoridation and fluoride safety and efficacy. Find out more about Colorado’s CWF program and connect with the OHU team for technical assistance.
Read about and get involved in strategies to integrate oral health with general health, including partnerships across health care professions (e.g., Behavioral-Oral Health Integration and Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease, Oral Health Integration), the clinical safety net, social services, and more.
Get involved in efforts to integrate oral health into school-based services such as School-Based Health Centers. Visit the school-based oral health program page to join the discussion, reach out regarding support and technical assistance, and find resources for the school-age population.
The OHU works to ensure that the health workforce meets the needs of all Coloradans. This means expanding accessibility of services by increasing the number and diversity of professionals in the oral health workforce. Read about workforce-enhancing initiatives, find resources, and connect to collective efforts on our oral health workforce page.
CDPHE provides access to state- and local-level data in order to help understand health and related issues affecting Coloradans through the Visual Information System for Identifying Opportunities and Needs (VISION) dashboard. Find oral health data under the health topics dropdown menu on this data dashboard.
Visit our news and press page to read and subscribe to our quarterly newsletter, hear from the dental director, read updates on oral public health initiatives, see partner links, and reach out about collaborations with and connections to featured stories.
To connect to oral health efforts in Colorado, fill out the interest form for the upcoming Colorado Oral Health Coalition or connect with us at CDPHE through our contact us form.
