Division of Oral Health

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Community Based Section :
Function is to manage and administer prevention and control programs for oral health including: the School Dental Program, Early Childhood Caries Prevention Program, Periodontal Disease Prevention and Control, Surveillance, Outreach/Access Programs, Oral Health Education and Promotion and Collaborations.

Hospital & Clinic Based Section :
Function is to provide general outpatient dental services for the public including: comprehensive clinic care, dental laboratory and radiology services. The other function is to provide secondary dental care and secondary prevention of oral diseases.

Oral Health Information System :
Function is provide the documentation for oral health services.
It will be linked to the other Health Information Systems by defined core requirements and collaboration.

Links are made to other Public Health supportive services including epidemiology, human resource development, health research, social marketing and general administrative support.

Division of Oral Health - main program summaries

Outpatient Dental Services

Outpatient dental services are provided at the Belau National Hospital Dental Clinic, which operates M-F during government working hours. The hospital dental clinic has six dental treatment rooms. The clinic provides a broad range of dental services for the general public through appointment or as emergency walk-ins. The clinic has approximately 9,000 patient encounters per year.

School Dental Program

The School Dental Program is a collaborative program with the Ministry of Education that serves approximately 3000 students (grade 1-8) in all 18 elementary schools (16 public, 2 private) throughout Palau. Every year all students receive dental exams and students requiring sealants have them placed on permanent molars and premolars. Sealants area like a hard plastic that is placed in the deep grooves and fissures of teeth protecting them from decay. Also, some restorative care (filling placement) is provided on-site at schools, as well as classroom dental health education. If students are not compliant or require additional or more extensive care, their parents are informed of appointments arranged at the hospital or preventive clinic. Additionally, principals and teachers participate in the School Brushing Program, encouraging students to brush daily at school with fluoridated toothpaste. Read more about flouride varnish here (.pdf).

Head Start students are also served through provision of early oral examinations every year for all students and referral and treatment services at the Preventive Dental Clinic. Click here (.pdf) for the head start coloring book.

MCH Dental Program

The MCH Dental Program is a partnership with the MCH and Primary Care. As a part of MCH services in Palau, all children and their mothers now must receive preventive oral health services as a part of immunization visits and prenatal care. Fluoride varnish applications have become coupled with these visits starting at 1 year of age. Every child presenting for immunization receives a topical fluoride varnish application on all of their erupted teeth and two additional applications within the course of a month. Children receive their first application at the MCH clinic and follow-up with additional applications at dispensaries, the hospital dental clinic or at the MCH clinic. This series of varnish applications occurs at age 12, 18, 24 and 36 months. Fluoride varnish is very safe to use on young children and its antibacterial and remineralizing effects are seen over a prolonged period. Prenatal exams, referral and counseling are provided for expecting mothers, while early screening exams are provided for young children starting at 18 months of age.

CHC Dental Program

The CHC Dental Program is in the process of being started. It is anticipated that the four Community Health Centers and surrounding communities will receive regular dental care through expanded outreach and establishment of satellite dental clinics at the CHCs.

Community Programs & Partnerships

The Division of Oral Health is actively involved in community health related activities and has numerous partners to help improve oral health and overall health of the community. These include partnerships with the Community Health Center Program, the Diabetes Program/Collaborative, the Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Program, the Coalition for a Tobacco-free Palau, Interagency, MOE, teachers, principals, PTAs, Head Start, PCC/AHEC, Maternal and Child Health & Family Health,. For information on diabetes and periodontal disease, click here (.pdf) for English text or here (.pdf) for Palauan text. Also, read about oral and pharyngeal cancer information here.(.pdf)

Read the Disease Burden & Plan. (.pdf Size: 232KB)