Oral Health 
Boards of health are responsible for assuring the provision of adequate public health services in their communities, including protecting the public from oral health risks. A board of health’s role is to assess a community’s oral health needs and concerns and develop or recommend policies, procedures, and programs to meet those needs.
Oral health means much more than healthy teeth. It means being free from chronic oral-facial pain conditions, oral and pharyngeal (throat) cancers, oral soft tissue legions, birth defects such as cleft lip and palate, and many other diseases and disorders that affect the oral, dental, and craniofacial tissues. Oral health is essential to general health, and must be included in the provision of health care and design of community programs.
Boards of Health in Action!
Chippewa County Board of Health, WI - Asked their City Council to move forward and add fluoride to the municipality's water.
Did You Know...
Oral Health Can Be a Good Indicator of General Health
Recent studies have shown that oral health can be linked to a person's general health on many factors. For example, oral infections are often in coordination with diabetes, stroke, heart disease, AIDS, and osteoporosis. By testing saliva, health professionals can determine signs of infections, as well as the amount of environmental toxins with which a person comes into contact. Click for more information on the link between oral health and general health.
School-Based Dental Sealant Programs Are Effective at Reducing Tooth Decay
Several studies have recently been published in peer-reviewed journals that provide evidence of effective prevention efforts in reducing tooth decay among school-aged children. School-based dental sealant programs are cost-effective and easy to implement. Click to learn more about these programs or read related journal articles.
To learn how you can obtain a copy of NALBOH's guide, Oral Health Guide for Local Boards of Health- Dental Sealants, visit our publications page!
Community Water Fluoridation Status Nearing Healthy People 2010 Objective
Approximately 70% of U.S. individuals who receive drinking water from a public water system now have fluoridated water. In order to reach the Healthy People 2010 objective, only 5% (15 million) more persons would need to have access to public fluoridated drinking water. Water fluoridation is an inexpensive way to reduce oral health problems for any community. To learn more about community water fluoridation, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or visit NALBOH's Publications Page to order Oral Health Guide for Local Boards of Health- Water Fluoridation.
NALBOH Community Health Pages
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Nutrition, Physical Activity, & Obesity
Tobacco Use Prevention and Control
Tobacco Resource & Publications
Oral Health
For questions or more information about NALBOH's community health programs, please contact Tricia Valasek.
Page Updated 7/22/2010.
© Copyright 2010, NALBOH
