Our Mission

To provide education and outreach on dental health and hygiene and advocate for access to dental services for all populations in our five counties.

What We Do

The Dental Task Force is currently comprised of 10 members from various Health and Human Services agencies in our service area. Members act as volunteers at programs as well as attend monthly meetings with the purpose of developing and discussing unique evidence-informed programming specific to our area’s health needs regarding dental health.

Award was presented by Michael Huff, Deputy Secretary of the PA Dept of Health. Accepting with Allison Clark (right) is Andrea Dale, one of our dedicated task force members.

The Dental Task Force has primarily focused its efforts on educating young elementary school-age children on the importance of keeping smiles healthy. The train-the-trainer component of the curriculum, entitled “Save Our Smiles,” was recently recognized as the 2009 PA Rural Health Program of the Year, an award presented by the PA Rural Health Association. 

Volunteers Make Our Communities Healthier

Our volunteers are integral to the Dental Task Force’s mission. They provide the vision, support and legwork necessary to provide community health outreach. Many of the members of the Task Force are affiliated with local agencies that provide services to families with young children. Other volunteers link the Task Force to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, who assisted in the development of the Save our Smiles curriculum.

“The members of the Dental Task Force are extremely hands-on,” says Donna Fritz, outreach assistant. “Not only do they help write the curriculum, but they know the value of actually getting out into the community and impacting thousands of our youngest residents.”

By virtue of their concern for the health of our communities and their years of experience in the field, the volunteers set the agenda for the group. As experts in their field, they possess the knowledge necessary to know how to develop and address health issues related to cancer effectively and efficiently.

In their service to the community, Dental Task Force members have assisted ACTION Health in the presentation of the Save Our Smiles curriculum at area elementary schools, assessed the level of knowledge participants attained as a result of the programs, and attended various children’s health fairs throughout the ACTION Health service area to share the importance of a healthy smile to children and their parents. In addition to promoting ACTION Health programs and initiatives to potential participants and partners, they have helped promote the general importance of health and wellness to the community.

Planning for the Future

Firstly, the Dental Task Force hopes to provide and promote its award-winning Save Our Smiles Train the Trainer to prevention educators, identifying sites and populations that are in need of dental health outreach.

Continuing the school-based SOS programs will remain a priority indefinitely. The Task Force will make necessary adjustments to the curriculum based on past experiences, especially with knowledge gained from the additional 2009 ‘kid writing’ component.

Additionally, the Dental Task Force is looking forward to participating in any applicable children’s health fairs within the ACTION Health service area.

The Dental Task Force programs lend themselves to a very hands-on approach, meaning that the more people that the volunteer force can involve, the more people they can reach. Indeed, to accomplish such ambitious and wide-ranging goals, the Task Force is also seeking to expand its volunteer membership. The topics the group wishes to address are significant to the community at large as well as health care professionals. Anyone who has a passion for serving the community is welcome to join the Task Force. The group also sees a need to reach out to other area partners who identify closely with the Task Force’s mission and can provide resources and support to current and future Task Force initiatives. 

Current Projects:

Save Our Smiles (SOS) program for 1st graders
Save Our Smiles (SOS) Train the Trainer program