Association‌ of‌ State‌ &‌ Territorial‌ Dental‌ Directors
3858‌ Cashill Blvd.,‌ Reno,‌ NV‌ ‌89509
Phone‌ 775-626-5008‌‌

Communications Committee

The purpose of the ASTDD Communications Committee is to oversee the various communication activities of the organization. The committee is responsible for publishing and distributing the annual ASTDD report and Oral Health Matters newsletter. The webmaster works with the committee to promote, manage and update the ASTDD website and listservs. Additionally, the communications committee creates, distributes, and displays promotional materials and brochures for member and partner use, provides TA on oral health communications planning, messaging and evaluation, and reviews materials developed by other committees, workgroups or partners. A Social Media Workgroup handles all ASTDD social media and conducts training via webinars and workshops.

Resources

ASTDD Communications Committee Resources: One-page overview of key ASTDD Communication Committee Activities and Products (April 2023)

General Communication Planning and Evaluation

Communication Plan Template for a Goal-Specific Project or Document and Year at a Glance Template This ASTDD tool helps you plan communication strategies, timelines, evaluation methods, etc. around a specific goal or document.

ASTDD example communication-plan-for-workforce-best practice approach report

ASTDD example Year at a Glance Communication Plan based on a previous version of the communication template.

Maryland example of communication plan

Other Resources

Spotlight and Other Presentations

Leveraging the MNOHI Environmental Scan in Ohio - Marla Morse and Susan Lawson addressed how the environmental scan  for the Ohio MNOHI project is used to influence Policy and Systems change (June 2023)

Remote Patient Monitoring and Specialist Consultation: Missed Opportunities with Teledentistry - Dr. Scott Howell from A.T. Still University, Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health, introduced participants to lesser utilized but extremely beneficial aspects of teledentistry: Remote patient monitoring and specialist consultation. Technology for teledentistry continues to evolve rapidly. New technologies allow patients to collect data, such as brushing habits and ortho treatment, from anywhere on the planet and share it with their providers. Gone are the days of hoping a patient will be honest about their home hygiene routine. And due to the ever-present need of specialists in areas where they may not practice, telecommunication technologies can be utilized to reach out to colleagues when help is needed with patient care. Both areas of teledentistry will be introduced with resources provided for participants to continue exploring these concepts on their own. (December 2022)

School-Based Dental Sealant Programs Best Practice Approach Report: Beth Lowe, BSDH, MPH from the National Maternal and Child Health Oral Health Resource gave a 15-minute overview of the updated School-Based Dental Sealant Programs Best Practice Approach Report (BPAR). Ms. Lowe describes the purpose and goal of the report and reviewed major sections in the report that include considerations states are encouraged to take into account when planning and implementing school-based dental sealant programs. (November 2022)

Reaching Pregnant Women Through Social Media: The Texas Oral Health Improvement Program has used paid social media to share key oral health messages with pregnant women and women of childbearing age. In the past couple of years, they have conducted two social media campaigns and one social influencer campaign. Using Facebook and Instagram ads, programmatic ads, and social media influencers, they have been able to reach their target audience in their social environment. In this presentation, they shared their campaign strategies and tactics, ad design, campaign analytics, and lessons learned. (October 2022)

Making Data Count: Slide presentation by Matt Jacob on communicating data effectively to increase awareness of oral health needs and outcomes. (September 2022)

California Oral Health Literacy Toolkit Initiative (August 2022)

Expanding Hygienists' Scope of Practice to Include the Provision of SDF in Public Health Settings in Vermont Recording (May 2022)

Expanding Hygienists' Scope of Practice to Include the Provision of SDF in Public Health Settings in Vermont Recording PowerPoint (May 2022)

Don't Bury the Lede (December 2021)

Don't Bury the Lede PowerPoint (December 2021)

Oral Health Care of People with Special Health Care Needs (September 2021)

Love Your Baby's Teeth Campaign Launch, Implementation and Analytics (May 2021)

2021 Social Media Campaign for Head Start Parents and Caregivers (March 2021)

Engaging the Media during Children's Dental Health Month (January 2021)

Best Practice Approach Report: State and Territorial Oral Health Programs and Collaborative Partnerships (October 2020)

Interim Protocol for Preventive Dental Care in Public Health Settings (August 2020)

Webcasts

Using Oral Health Resources Online Webcast Recording (January 2022)

Using Oral Health Resources Online PowerPoint (January 2022)

Guides

Community Toolkit for Addressing Misinformation - The toolkit was created to help Americans navigate the serious threat of health misinformation, especially online.

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Evaluation Report Guidance (November 2017)

NCI. Making Health Communication Programs Work A step by step guide from the National Cancer Institute that includes a chapter on Communications research.

Promoting Your Public Health Report: A Hands-on Guide This toolkit from AHRQ is designed to help communities increase awareness and use of their public reports by consumers and other important audiences. The suggested approaches and template materials are intended for use with the media, both in traditional settings (e.g., printed newspapers, radio broadcasts) and online avenues (e.g., news Web sites, blogs). The materials have been compiled for modification and use by Chartered Value Exchanges and others who produce public reports comparing health care quality, cost, patient experience, and other aspects of value.

Theory at a Glance A Guide For Health Promotion Practice (2005) This guide describes several theories of health related behaviors and ways in which theories and models can be used in planning, implementing, and evaluating health promotion programs.

The Twelve Steps to Developing a Health Communication Campaign - A guide from Public Health Ontario to help you plan and evaluate your health communication campaigns and programs.

Oral Health Literacy and Cultural Competency

AAPHD Oral Health Literacy and Dental Public Health This course presents a brief overview of the definition of health literacy, how health literacy and oral health literacy are measured, and the role of oral health literacy in promoting oral health and access to dental care in both private practice and in public health settings. It includes discussion of how oral health literacy can influence long-term oral health outcomes, and how oral health literate approaches can be integrated into private and public health organizations.

CDC Health Literacy Website and Online Trainings This site provides information and tools to improve health literacy and public health as well as health literacy activities by state.

CDC Create a Health Literacy Plan Resources to help you create or update a plan.

Examples of Inforgraphics

Dental Infographics on Pinterest

Everyday Words for Public Health Communication 2016. This document lists frequently used terms in public health materials and their common, everyday alternatives in plain language sentences.

How Fluoride Works Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Six Ways to Care for Your Mouth Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Integrating Oral and General Health Through Health Literacy Proceedings of a Workshop (2019)National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019.

Integrating Oral and General Health Through Health Literacy Practices: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. This workshop featured invited presentations and discussion on the ways in which health literacy principles and practices can facilitate the integration of oral and general health. Available for purchase or download.

University of Maryland School of Public Health: Accelerating Oral and General Health for All through Health Literacy. A Symposium and Tribute to Dr. Alice M Horowitz (October 2022)

USDHHS Office of Minority Health. Think Cultural Health: Advancing Health Equity at Every Point of Contact E-learning Program: This 3-course program worth up to 6 CE credits, provides oral health professionals with basic knowledge and skills related to cultural and linguistic competency, based on the HHS Office of Minority Health's National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care (the National CLAS Standards). Information about National CLAS Standards. Think Cultural Health Webinar Series. Includes more than 15 videos on various topics.

Websites, Toolkits and Documents

A Way with Words: Guidelines for Writing Oral Health Materials for Audiences with Limited Literacy. 2 page guide from the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center.

CDC Clear Communication Index: A research-based tool to help you develop and assess public communication materials.

CDC Division of Oral Health Communication Resources: Including Infographics, Media, Print Material, Feature Articles, and Podcasts and Other Multimedia.

HRSA Culture, Language and Health Literacy HRSA's webpage with many resources.

Institute of Medicine. Implications of Health Literacy for Public Health: Workshop Summary. 2014 The commissioned paper and summaries of the presentations at a workshop convened by the IOM Roundtable on Health Literacy in 2013 focused on the implications of health literacy for the mission and essential services of public health.

National Center for Cultural Competence Website targeted to health care and mental health care programs to "design, implement, and evaluate culturally and linguistically competent service delivery systems to address growing diversity, persistent disparities, and to promote health and mental health equity."

Plainlanguage.gov Federal website with many useful resources.

Quick Guide to Health Literacy USDHHS, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion's webpage with guide, fact sheets and other resources; includes one for working with older adults

Social Marketing

The Gateway to Health Communication and Social Marketing Practice

This website has a wealth of information from CDC and other public and private resources that can help you build your social marketing or health communication campaign or programs. Whether you are looking for tips to help analyze and segment an audience, choose appropriate channels and tools, or evaluate the success of your messages or campaigns, the Gateway can help you find what you need to achieve your program or campaign goals.

Social Media

ASTDD Social Media Library - These messages and images are intended for our members, associate members, state oral health program personnel, health departments and our partner organizations to use with social media outlets, such as Twitter and Facebook. Each message is 140 characters or less, per Twitter requirements. Messages may be used as written or customized to address local or other specific needs. This list will be updated regularly, so check back often. (December 2022)

ASTDD Social Media Fact Sheet (April 2015) ASTDD 2 page fact sheet on social media applications and posting on Facebook

Steps for Creating a Personal Twitter Account ASTDD Tipsheet (December 2015) 1 page instruction sheet

Using Social Media To Promote Oral Health: Twitter Messaging Tipsheet (April 2015) 2 page instruction sheet on using Twitter

NACCHO Social Media Toolkit for Local Health Departments. (2019)

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