Improving oral health outcomes for Northwest Tribes

NPAIHB’s Northwest Tribal Dental Support Center (NTDSC) provides training, quality improvement, and technical assistance to the Indian Health Service (IHS), Tribal, and urban dental programs within the Portland area.

These services result in measurable improvement in the oral health status of the American Indian and Alaska Native people served. Site visits are tailored to each program and can be conducted in person or virtually. Continuing dental education (CDE) hours are also available at no cost to providers at program sites.

Contact: tmason@npaihb.org

History & Context

Native communities carry a disproportionate burden of oral diseases. The IHS 1999 Oral Health Survey found that most American Indian and Alaska Native children have experienced tooth decay. It also found that most American Indian and Alaska Native adults have lost teeth to dental disease, with periodontal disease continuing to be a significant problem among adults. For both children and adults, access to preventative and restorative dental care is limited. These oral health disparities stem in part from the loss of dental public health infrastructure within IHS over the past several decades, which prompted IHS to invest in dental support centers dedicated to improving American Indian and Alaska Native oral health outcomes. NTSDC has been operating for over 20 years.

NTSDC Goals

NTSDC’s goals are to provide training, quality improvement, and technical assistance to the 43 IHS/Tribal dental programs in the Portland Area and to achieve measurable improvement in the oral health of the American Indian and Alaska Native people these programs serve. To meet these goals, NTSDC focuses on oral health assessments, quality of care, clinical and community-based prevention, continuing dental education, and working alongside IHS and other dental support centers.

 

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