The mission of the North Dakota Oral Health Program is to improve the oral health of all North Dakotans through prevention and education. Our primary goal is to prevent and reduce oral disease by:
- Promoting the use of innovative and cost-effective approaches for oral health promotion and disease prevention
- Fostering community and statewide partnerships to promote oral health and improve access to dental care
- Increasing awareness of the importance of preventive oral health care
- Identifying and reducing oral health disparities among specific population groups
- Facilitating the transfer of new research into practice
North Dakota Health & Human Services' Oral Health Program is located within the Healthy and Safe Communities section under the Health Promotion area.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's State Promotion of Strategies to Advance Oral Health
North Dakota Health & Human Services' Oral Health Program was awarded the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s State Promotion of Strategies to Advance Oral Health grant. This grant was awarded September 2024 as a three-year award. Under this grant, we will work to decrease dental caries, oral health disparities, and other chronic diseases that occur with poor oral health.
In North Dakota, these efforts include:
- Increasing access to evidence-based preventive dental services
- Providing technical assistance to community water systems
- Improving oral health and chronic disease surveillance using secondary data sources to describe oral health trends
- Increasing awareness of infection prevention and control guidelines
Health Resources and Services Administration’s Grants to States to Support Oral Health Workforce Activities
The Oral Health Program was awarded the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Grants to States to Support Oral Health Workforce Activities. This grant was awarded September 2022 and is a four-year award. The purpose of this grant is to help states develop and implement innovative programs to address the dental workforce needs of designated dental health professional shortage areas (Dental HPSAs) in a manner appropriate to each state’s individual needs.
In North Dakota, these efforts include:
- School-based sealant programs
- Dental student rotations in Federally Qualified Healthcare Centers
- Assess and support dental workforce
- Emergency room diversion for dental concerns
Our Team
Cheri Kiefer
Director, Oral Health Program
Phone: (701) 328-4930
Email: ckiefer@nd.gov
Toni Hruby
Oral Health Prevention Coordinator
Phone: (701) 328-4515
Email: tlhruby@nd.gov
Jesse Tran
Assistant Unit Director, Health Promotion & Chronic Disease Prevention
Phone: (701) 328-2419
Email: jtran@nd.gov
Anastasia Stepanov
Oral Health Epidemiologist
Phone: (701) 328-1292
Email: astepanov@nd.gov
Vanessa Bopp
Community and Workforce Liaison
Phone: (701) 328-4522
Email: vbopp@nd.gov