In the summer of 2000, the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) in conjunction with the Cooperative Agreement with CDC sought input from its members on what programs, strategies, practices, etc. were the most effective in promoting oral health in their respective states. A 9-member committee was established to provide guidance as the project's steering committee. This group's charge was to identify and promote best practices from state and territorial oral health programs based on: 1) impact/effectiveness, 2) efficiency, 3) sustainability, 4) collaboration/integration, and 5) objectives/rationale.
During the last three years State Dental Directors have submitted their approaches, programs or practices that have proven to be highly effective in impacting the oral health of our citizens. The resulting compilation of these practices is available on the ASTDD Web site (www.astdd.org). The site offers many Best Practice Approach Reports that describe current state and community practices that have been successful in preventing oral disease, promoting oral health and improving the quality of life. ASTDD is pleased to share these practices with our colleagues in other organizations interested in promoting good oral and general health. We hope you find these useful and we welcome any suggestions or input that your organization might have.
