Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

• Associate historical development of dental hygiene to the mission of oral public health.
• Discuss the federal, state and local structure of oral public health.
• Identify target populations and discuss barriers to care.
• Explore legislative initiatives and movements that address and improve access to care issues.
• Identify various payment methods, insurance plans and government role in funding oral health care.

Discuss the history of public health and dental public health with special emphasis on the Surgeon General’s Report on Oral Health in America.

• Explore Healthy People 2010 and relate the goals on a national, state, and local level.
• Recognize various roles of the dental hygienist, including the public health dental hygienist.
• Explore water fluoridation as one of the top ten public health measures in the U.S.
• Describe a typical water fluoridation program and compare the benefits with other forms of fluoridation.
• Identify and list the steps of the public health model.
• Discuss the problem of access to care in the United States and compare this to the health care system of other countries.
• Describe current health financing options and discuss proposals for future health and dental care plans.
• Identify high risk populations with dental needs and discuss the barriers to the delivery of oral health care.

• Quiz
• Midterm
• Participate in a simulated town hall discussion of water fluoridation
• Comprehensive final exam

• Historical public health concerns and efforts
• The “Public Health Model”
• Fluoridation
• Access to oral health care, barriers, risk factors and financing.