Data and Oral Health Surveillance

ASTDD State Synopses Resources

State Synopses Summary Report 2023 - This report contains aggregated data for responses to selected items on the 2021-2022 State Synopses of Dental Public Health Programs.
The Importance of State Oral Health Surveillance Systems Infographic
Important State Collaborations Around Oral Health and Chronic Disease Infographic
The Importance of State Oral Health Program Plans Infographic

ASTDD Basic Screening Survey (BSS) Resources

ASTDD BSS Toolkit - This downloadable toolkit contains all of the information you will need to plan and conduct a BSS of children or vulnerable older adults.
ASTDD provides technical assistance with the BSS tool and other aspects of data surveys such as sampling and data analysis. To request assistance, download the Data Technical Assistance Request Form and e-mail to Christine Wood, Executive Director of ASTDD at cwood@astdd.org.
States with BSS Oral Health Data - This resource lists all states that have data obtained through a BSS of preschool or school-age children or older adults. When available, links to state BSS reports are provided.
Basic Screening Surveys: Monitoring Community Oral Health Presentation by Dr. Kathy Phipps for the UCSF DPH 175 Dental Public Health Lecture Series on March 3, 2020.

Other ASTDD Data and Surveillance Resources

ASTDD Best Practice Approach Report - State-based Oral Health Surveillance System (February 2023)
ASTDD Best Practice Approach Report - Dissemination of Data from State-Based Surveillance Systems (August 2021)
ASTDD Emergency Department Data Collection Resources
ASTDD Making Data Count: Slide presentation on communicating data effectively to increase awareness of oral health needs and outcomes. (September 2022)
ASTDD's Oral Health Surveillance Plan Template If your state does not have a written oral health surveillance plan or has one that needs to be updated, then you might be interested in the template. It is designed to help states with the cumbersome process of writing, revising or updating an oral health surveillance plan. The template is a complete surveillance plan document that, with a small amount of effort, can be modified to a customized document for your state. The template includes background information on the importance of public health surveillance, the importance of oral health surveillance, and a core set of indicators to include in a state oral health surveillance system (OHSS). (May 2016)
Oral Health Surveillance Plan Template Instructions
ASTDD State Surveillance Data Reference Guide - The purpose of this reference guide is to provide information on sources of oral health data that are available at the state level and can be used for a state-based oral health surveillance system. It lists available oral health indicators, identifies if the indicator is a NOHSS or Healthy People indicator, and provides information on the primary data source. The guide includes three tables: Table 1: Quick Reference Guide for the National Oral Health Surveillance System Indicators by Topic Area, Table 2: Quick Reference Guide for the National Oral Health Surveillance System Indicators by Population Group and Table 3: Detailed State Surveillance Data Reference Guide by Population Group All Oral Health Data.
ASTDD Turning Data into Action Webcast Series
ASTDD and the Children's Dental Health Project Making Oral Health Count: Toward a Comprehensive Oral Health Measurement System: The DentaQuest Foundation funded the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) and the Children's Dental Health Project (CDHP) to systematically gather input from oral health advocates, provider groups, and federal agency officials responsible for oral health data to develop this issue brief that outlines some of the strategies needed to achieve a comprehensive Oral Health Measurement System. (December 2017)

National Oral Health Surveillance System (NOHSS) Resources

Development and Status of the National Oral Health Surveillance System - This manuscript, published in Preventing Chronic Disease (April 2009), describes the development of the National Oral Health Surveillance System.
Revision to the National Oral Health Surveillance System (NOHSS) Indicators - This position statement, developed and approved by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), describes the process used to update the NOHSS indicators in 2015.
ASTDD Webcast: Using the National Oral Health Surveillance System to Set Targets - Mary Davis, DrPH, MSPH, owner of Project Y Evaluation Services, LLC and an ASTDD Evaluation Consultant and John O'Malley, MHI, owner of Positive Sum Health Informatics and developer of the ASTDD National Oral Health Data Portal (NOHDP) presented about the National Oral Health Surveillance System (NOHSS) which monitors the burden of oral disease, use of the oral health care delivery system, and the status of community water fluoridation nationally and by state. States can use NOHSS indicators to monitor these areas and, with partners, create action plans to improve oral health within their communities. Watch the recording to learn about the NOHSS indicators and how states/territories can set targets using data from the system. (August 2022)
State-Based Oral Health Surveillance Systems: Conceptual Framework and Operational Definition - The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), in collaboration with ASTDD, published this document that provides (1) an overview of oral and craniofacial health surveillance at national and state levels, including components of a state oral health surveillance system (SOHSS), (2) an overview of the development and revision of the National Oral Health Surveillance System (NOHSS) and of other national public health surveillance initiatives, (3) a new operational definition for HP2020 Objective OH-16 (Increase the number of states and DC that have an oral and craniofacial health surveillance system), and (4) a discussion of future potential changes and directions for oral health surveillance systems. (October 2013)

Other Data and Surveillance Resources

American Dental Association Health Policy Institute - The Health Policy Institute (HPI) generates, synthesizes, and disseminates innovative research on a variety of topics that are relevant to policy makers, health care advocates, and providers within the U.S. dental care system. Some of the key issues that HPI focuses on include the impact of health reform on the dental care sector, access to dental care for key populations, dental practice economics, dental care service delivery and financing, and dental education.
BRFSS (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System) - 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.
BRFSS/PRAMS/YRBS State Added Questions - This list of optional state added BRFSS, PRAMS and YRBS questions from 2016 - 2022 was compiled based on responses to a query to state dental directors.
CSTE CD/MCH/Oral Health Steering Committee Data Visualization and Health Equity Training Series
Fedstats - This website is the gateway to statistics from over 100 US Federal Agencies.
HDPulse: An Ecosystem of Health Disparities and Minority Health Resources from NIMHD. HDPulse consists of two easy-to-use portals: a Data Portal and an Intervention Portal (forthcoming in Fall 2018). The Data portal will help public health professionals and researchers identify, track, and study issues related to health disparities, and the Intervention portal will offer evidence-based interventions to improve minority health and health disparities. The Data Portal houses data collected from public health surveillance systems, published reports, and public use files.
HP 2020 Midcourse Review. Chapter 32. Oral Health
My Water's Fluoride - 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.
National Center for Health Statistics - 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.
Partners in Information Access for Public Health Workforce - This website contains many links to health statistics, data sets, and resources to support data collection.
PRAMS (Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System) - PRAMS is a surveillance project of the CDC and state health departments. Developed in 1987, PRAMS collects state-specific, population-based data on maternal attitudes and experiences before, during, and shortly after pregnancy.
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.
Using Oral Health Data to Inform Decisions and Policy Development - Have you collected oral health data and are wondering how to best use and present the data? If yes, then this helpful document is for you. It provides tips for the use and presentation of complex oral health data so that the information is understandable and meaningful for a non-dental audience. It also provides a list of resources ranging from a communications toolkit to developing a "plain English" document.
YRBS (Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System) - The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System monitors six types of health-risk behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death and disability among youth and adults.

State Examples

2017 Kansas Oral Health Snapshot - Oral Health Kansas launched this county-level oral health data book that features data about the economic status, along with information about the oral health challenges and resources for each of the 105 counties in Kansas.
Arkansas Oral Health Data Deck (2022)
Arkansas BSS Fact Sheet (2022)
Connecticut Every Smile Counts Infographic (2022)
Georgia 2017-2019 PRAMS Topic Page - This infographic highlights the oral health findings from the Georgia 207-2018 PRAMS survey
Idaho's Oral Health Surveillance System
Nebraska Older Adult BSS Infographic - This infographic highlights the findings of Nebraska's 2019 oral health survey of long-term care facility residents. (July 2020)
Oral Health in Colorado by the Numbers (2023)
Oral Health in Connecticut 2013-2018
State Oral Health Surveillance System Report - This example from the Oregon State Oral Health Program, shows how information about state oral health data can be shared with stakeholders in an easy to read, easy to update format.
Status of Oral Health in California: Oral Disease Burden and Prevention 2017 - This report provides an overview of oral health status and capacity to address disease burden in California. It summarizes the most recent data that describe oral health status, disparities, risk and protective factors, and dental services in California.