Colorado Oral Health News Winter 2026: Children’s Dental Health Month and More
Letter from the Dental Director
Dear friends,
As we begin a new year, the Oral Health Unit (OHU) wishes to express our deep appreciation to Colorado’s oral health network for your ongoing dedication and perseverance to improving oral health across our state. Evidence from our most recent Basic Screening Survey indicates that nearly 46% of kindergartners and more than 60% of third graders have experienced cavities. Community-based programs that prioritize prevention and early intervention improve access to care, reduce oral disease, and improve overall health. This work is possible because of the contributions of all of you. Thank you for your continued teamwork and partnership.
While we promote oral health for all every day, February brings a special focus on kids’ teeth with National Children’s Dental Health Month. The American Dental Association offers free materials and learning tools to help teach people about oral health. Free educational videos and other resources on oral health are also available from Rocky Mountain PBS. This issue of Colorado Oral Health News also includes free resources, details on a new mini-grant opportunity for local public health agencies, information about the upcoming Colorado Dental Board Dental Stakeholder Meeting, and free continuing education courses on safer opioid prescribing and Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias.
In the face of ongoing challenges to protecting and improving oral health, we are excited about new strategies and expansion of existing strategies happening in Colorado. We continue to stand for the strong evidence base for interventions that protect and promote oral public health including continued funding support for sealants, fluoride varnish, and community water fluoridation. For example, the OHU has prioritized local funding for the expansion of preventive oral health services provided in school settings through grants to school-based health centers, local public health agencies housing the Regional Oral Health Specialist model, and other mobile programs administered through community safety-net providers. Additionally, the 2026 Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation grant award recipients received funding to help improve oral health across Colorado.
Our collective commitment to supporting Colorado communities to protect the health of those we serve is more vital now than ever before. We look forward to aligning and leveraging resources, and strengthening our collective voice. We know that working together allows us to create more change, be more effective, and make a bigger difference. Together, we can continue to build on the strong foundation the oral health network has cultivated. We look forward to working together throughout 2026!
With gratitude,
Jenni Lansing, MPH, MBA, RDH
State Dental Director
News & Hot Topics
LPHA Mini-Grant Application for Oral Health Integration Planning Available
The Oral Health Unit (OHU) is excited to announce an Oral Health Integration Planning Mini-Grant opportunity for local public health agencies (LPHAs). This mini-grant will provide funding to support LPHAs in assessing unmet oral health needs and identifying opportunities for integration and implementation of oral health strategies. Applicants awarded through this mini-grant may be eligible for OHU funding in the state fiscal year (SFY) 2028 (07/01/2027 – 06/30/2028) for implementation of identified oral health strategies. Applications must be submitted through this Google form and are due by March 15, 2026.
Fluoride Resources and Free CE
In collaboration with the American Fluoridation Society, the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health developed a Fluoride: Top 10 Questions Parents Ask resource, which provides answers to common questions parents ask about fluoride and fluoridation.
CareQuest also has a new self-paced course: Community Water Fluoridation: How Dental Professionals Can Lead the Conversation, which is eligible for one continuing education (CE) credit.
Guidance for Safe Use, Handling, Cleaning, and Storage of Toothbrushes in Child Care Settings and Elementary Schools
The National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center recently developed a Guidance for Safe Use, Handling, Cleaning, and Storage of Toothbrushes in Child Care Settings and Elementary Schools handout to support toothbrushing in educational settings. The publication is available to download for free from the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center website.
Stories from the field
HPV Public Service Announcement Videos Available
In collaboration with the human papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination Task Force and the Colorado Cancer Coalition, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) developed two public service announcement videos about the safety and benefits of HPV vaccination. The videos feature an oral health champion and a cervical cancer survivor’s perspective, and provide an overview of the current HPV vaccine recommendations and the role of HPV prevention as a cancer-reducing strategy.
The videos are currently available in English on the CDPHE PSA YouTube page. Spanish versions will be available soon.
Colorado State Dental Board Stakeholder Meeting
The Colorado State Dental Board is conducting a virtual Stakeholder Meeting on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at 1:30 PM to receive feedback on proposed rule revisions and proposed new rules to implement Colorado Senate Bill 25-194. Visit the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies Colorado Dental Homepage to access draft rules, stakeholder meeting registration, and recordings of previous Stakeholder Meetings.
Partner Links
Safe Opioid Prescribing for Dental Providers Webinar Recording
In partnership with the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention, the Colorado Dental Association (CDA) provided a learning opportunity presented by Dr. Don Teater, MD, MPH, on pain management and safe opioid prescribing for dental professionals. Visit the CDA’s webpage to learn more about the course and to access the recording.
Prenatal, Infant, Toddler
Updated Resource: Oral Health Care During Pregnancy: A National Consensus Statement
The National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center (ORHC) has recently updated their Oral Health Care During Pregnancy: A National Consensus Statement resource. This update includes information on dental amalgams, aspirin to prevent preeclampsia and use of nitrous oxide. Visit OHRC’s webpage to access the update statement.
School-Age
Tobacco and Nicotine Screening Guide for Dental Health Teams
The CDPHE Tobacco Program and Oral Health Unit developed a Tobacco and Nicotine Guide for oral health professionals. The guide provides information on types of tobacco or nicotine products and outlines strategies for encouraging and supporting tobacco/nicotine cessation.
Older Adult
Free Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Training – CME Available
In partnership with the Rocky Mountain Public Health Training Center, the Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias (ADRD) Program has launched an ADRD Training for Public Health Professionals!
The Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Public Health Professionals is a one-hour self-paced module. Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias affect memory, thinking, and daily functioning, making them a growing concern for public health. This training introduces the types and stages of ADRD, explores their impact on individuals and communities, and highlights why public health professionals play a key role in addressing them. It examines risk reduction, health disparities, and the influence of social and environmental factors. The course also offers strategies to raise awareness, support caregivers, and promote brain health through collaboration and regional initiatives.
Training participants can earn one free American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) continuing medical education (CME) credit, which is accepted by the American Medical Association (AMA) as equivalent to AMA PRA Category 1 credit.
Mile High United Way 211 ADRD and Care Partner Resource Repository
The Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias Action Coalition (ADRDAC) is excited to announce that the Mile High United Way (MHUW) 211 ADRD and Care Partner Resource Repository is now live and ready to be shared with Coloradans. This resource repository aims to connect our community with valuable resources, information, services, and supports related to their needs surrounding ADRD and being a care partner. We encourage everyone to aid in sharing the resource repository with their networks! If you have resources to share, please send them to Monica Maly so we can further grow the resource repository as we continue our work with MHUW 211 over the next year. Your contributions are vital in ensuring we meet the diverse needs of our state.
Contact Us
- Sign up for this newsletter.
- Check out our YouTube channel.
- Contact Us by emailing us at cdphe_oral_health_unit@state.co.us.
