Data Collection, Assessment and Surveillance Committee

The committee oversees all of the activities of the Association regarding the National Oral Health Surveillance System, the BRFSS, YRBS, PRAMS, the Synopsis of State Programs, BSS training  and TA and any MCH related data requests or technical assistance. A Coordinator and various advisory groups work with committee members to accomplish all objectives. The coordinator and an additional consultant provide technical assistance and training to states on oral health assessment and surveillance.

This tool is an editable MSWord document that provides links to online data sources with state and national estimates for key oral health indicators, including those from NOHSS and Healthy People 2010.  The purpose of the template is to assist dental directors in finding oral health data relevant to the population they serve.  Links are provided to national data systems where state data may be found.  Information is also provided on state programs or contacts that typically have the listed oral health data.  Modify this document to create a personalized template, adding indicators and links to additional state and local data sources more current or available through collaboration with state and local partners.  This document will be updated regularly to keep current with new and changing data sources.

Needs assessment is not an end in itself, but the initial step in the development of a comprehensive oral health program plan. This document has been created to make needs assessment simpler and more manageable. It serves as a step-by-step guide that can be adapted to specific community resources and objectives.

This tool consists of a CD and a DVD and contains all of the information you will need to plan and conduct a Basic Screening Survey of preschool or school children.

A Best Practice Approach is defined as a public health strategy that is supported by evidence for its impact and effectiveness. A Best Practice Approach Report captures key information that describes the public health strategy, determines the strength of evidence, and illustrates implementation with current practice examples.

ASTDD provides technical assistance with the Basic Screening Survey tool and other aspects of data surveys such as sampling and data analysis. To request assistance, download this form and e-mail to Dr. Brad Whistler, Chair, ASTDD Data Committee at bradley.whistler@alaska.gov

This ASTDD report analyzes state annual synopses data from 1998-2002 for trends in state oral health infrastructure, workforce, administration and program activities.

NOHSS is a collaborative effort between CDC's Division of Oral Health and ASTDD. NOHSS is designed to track eight basic oral health surveillance indicators as its main focus. This is a minimal set of indicators, to be expanded in the future, based on data sources and surveillance capacity available to most states. National and state data are displayed.

Journal of Preventing Chronic Disease, April 2009

The Synopses website contains information useful in tracking progress toward Healthy People 2010 oral health objectives (Chapter 21) in states, U.S.-associated jurisdictions, and the nation.

This report contains aggregated data for responses to selected items on the 2010 State Synopsis

This CDC Web site allows consumers  to find basic information about their water system, including the number of people served by the system and the target fluoridation level. Currently, 26 states provide CDC with this information.

The American Dental Association's Division of Health Policy Resources Center-Survey Center (SC) is responsible for collecting, compiling, analyzing and disseminating statistical information of concern to the dental profession. Information is disseminated to the dental profession and the public. The SC has a wide variety of printed reports and publications available for purchase. Information is available on dental workforce; the economics of the private practice of dentistry; the use of dental services; dental fees; and many topical issues in dentistry such as employment of hygienists and use of computers in the private dental office.

Searchable database by year and category of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Most states participate in this survey and provide oral health data. Search on "oral health" to view data on the oral health questions.

This website is the gateway to statistics from over 100 US Federal Agencies.

NCHS is the Nation's principal health statistics agency, compiling statistical information to guide actions and policies to improve health. The website displays information on major national surveys such NHANES, the National Health Interview Survey, the National Health Care Survey and the National Vital Statistics System.

The Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Data Resource Center (DRC), co-sponsored by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) and the Division of Oral Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), serves as a resource on dental, oral and craniofacial data for the oral health research community, clinical practitioners, public health planners and policy makers, advocates and the general public.

Partners in Information Access for Public Health Workforce*
This website contains many links to health statistics, data sets, and resources to support data collection.

Title V Information System*

This website contains all types of information relating to the Title V MCH Block Grants, including state needs assessments and profiles, data reports, and national and state performance measures. It is a searchable database.