Thursday, November 21, 2024
11/21/2024
CDC-RFA-DP18-1810 State Actions to Improve Oral Health Outcomes The purpose of this project is to support Connecticut in improving oral health outcomes. The Connecticut Department of Public Health’s (CT DPH) Office of Oral Health (OOH) will work collaboratively with community partners and CT DPH to address four focus areas. The OOH will address the three component 1 focus areas by expanding school-based dental sealant programs, increasing the proportion of people served by community water fluoridation who receive optimally fluoridated water, and disseminating oral health surveillance data on the oral disease risk factors and use of preventive oral health services. Component 2 will focus on integrating oral health with other chronic disease programs. The long-term outcomes will be measured by a decrease in dental caries, oral health disparities in CT, a decrease in other co-morbid conditions. In Component 1, the OOH will implement a three -fold strategy to increase the number of identified high needs schools and number of children receiving dental sealants: 1.) Increase number of contracts awarded to school based dental sealant programs, 2.) work with contracted SBSPs to identify schools to expand dental sealant service, and 3.) create work plans aimed at increasing enrollment, consents, screenings to identify children needing dental sealants. The OOH and DWS will build on the successes of this current CDC CA project funding period implementing a multi- level strategy aimed at preserving the updated CWF statute, ensuring the delivery of optimally fluoridated water, and educating all stakeholders in the safety and benefits of water fluoridation for our state. The oral health surveillance strategy will focus on dissemination CT Oral Health Surveillance System (COHSS) data on oral disease, risk factors, and use of preventive oral health services. Building on the success of prior CDC CA, the OOH has established and will complete two Basic Screening Surveys, update the Burden Document, and continue to expand oral health surveillance system infrastructure and capacity. The component 2 medical –dental integration strategies and activities project, will address diabetes and oral disease risk factors by integrating prediabetes and oral health screenings, education, and bidirectional referrals into medical and dental systems at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). The OOH and the CT DPH Diabetes Prevention Program will work collaboratively to implement the prediabetes screening project with medical and dental staff at two Federally Qualified FQHCs to work collaboratively to identify individuals at high risk for pre-diabetes using a validated paper screening tool. Anyone with a positive screen by dental staff will be referred to their primary care provider for a confirmatory blood test and referred to an evidence-based Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) for type 2. FQHC staff will develop protocols to enhance DPP enrollment and retention strategies with the goal of reducing the progression from pre-diabetes to diabetes.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
