Dental Public Health provides government-sponsored oral health care to communities. The goal is to achieve optimal oral health among Americans through education, disease prevention and the promotion of dental health. They offer assistance and programs for people who don't have access to dental care. Public Dental Health (DPH) is a paraclinical specialty of dentistry that deals with the prevention of oral diseases and the promotion of oral health.
Dental public health is involved in assessing key dental health needs and in finding effective solutions to improve the dental health of populations rather than individuals. Founded in 1937, the American Association for Public Health Dentistry (AAPHD) provides an approach to meeting the challenge of improving oral health. AAPHD membership is open to anyone interested in improving the public's oral health. Dental public health specialists work in the community primarily to prevent and control dental diseases and dental wellness.
Those who perform these functions work closely with health agencies, participate in research, education and strategic direction. However, oral health is, in this case, the key priority, since it recognizes that it is an integral part of general health. Advocate for, implement, and evaluate public health policies, laws, and regulations to protect and promote the public's oral health. Dental public health professionals develop policies and programs, such as health care reform, that affect the wider community.
Others who deal primarily with public health from a community perspective include dental and public health school educators, researchers, administrators, advocates, and policymakers The American Board of Dental Public Health (ABDPH) compiled a list of Competencies that dental public health specialists should follow. It makes up 3% of the dental workforce, or about 6,000 dentists, who work primarily in dental safety net environments, including health centers, community clinics, health departments, government programs, and federal dental services. Until recently, dental public health was a specialized pathway and was only open to general dentists, unlike general public health, which is open to a broader field. The CDC Dental Public Health Residency Program is sponsored by the Oral Health Division of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP).
A common theme for all public health dentists is a commitment to addressing the oral health of a community. The specialty's certification body, the American Board of Dental Public Health, defines dental public health as “the science and art of preventing and controlling dental diseases and promoting dental health through organized community efforts. While the plan adapts to individual differences and considers current problems, it emphasizes the application of fundamental public health principles to prevent oral diseases and promote oral health. He added that public health also guarantees dentists a consistent salary, health insurance, extensive sick leave, vacation days and other benefits.
Public health plays an enormous role in the health and well-being of all countries and in the ability to work collaboratively to address inequalities. Oral health promotion describes strategies for improving and educating the general public on how they can better improve and maintain their current oral health. When it comes to dental public health, there is a specialized pathway and an option to study dental public health. .
