Readying Community Water Fluoridation Advocates through Training, Surveillance, and Empowerment

This paper describes the Community Water Fluoridation Advocacy Training Project that was designed to develop networks of community water fluoridation advocates in rural communities. The South Carolina (SC) Department of Health and Environmental Control Division of Oral Health staff and the SC Dental Association were responsible for developing and facilitating the training sessions for key policy influencers, which included medical and dental providers, early childhood educators, and water system operators and managers. Findings from the post-training survey indicate that participants increased their knowledge and skills to discuss the impact of water fluoridation on the dental health of community residents. Participants identified a need for online access to water fluoridation education and advocacy materials. Dental public health competencies illustrated: communication and collaboration with groups and individuals, and advocate, implement and evaluate public health policy, legislation and regulations.