RESEARCH ON ORAL HEALTH EDUCATION AND HEALTH PROMOTION

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Oral health education is an integral part of health promotion. Research on ways to improve content, channels of distribution, appropriateness as well as the need to identify specific audiences and to identify their needs is a primary focus of the Branch. Science transfer activities to help ensure that research based information is used in preparation of educational materials and other communications also is integral to Branch activities. Adapting research findings to the needs of the audience, be they legislative, professional, general public or specific high risk populations is an important outcome of research conducted by the NIDR. The Branch has taken the NIDR lead in evaluating scientific literature for translation and interpretation for many audiences. The outcomes of these evaluations result in published literature reviews in texts and journals, lectures and consultation. Major areas of emphasis are community water fluoridation and other fluoride regimens, dental sealants as well as prevention of other diseases such as oral cancers and strategies for effective health education and promotion. Staff work with outside investigators to develop survey instruments to evaluate knowledge, opinions and practices for use in determining the basis upon which education and preventive regimens could be established at the local and state levels. Staff also work with international guest scientists and volunteers in the area of health education and health promotion. Several staff and several Korean investigators have conducted surveys on knowledge, opinions and practices of dentists and dental hygienists regarding caries etiology and prevention to help establish the basis for a health education-promotion initiative. Two papers have been prepared for publication.