Local dental programs: a descriptive assessment of funding and activities.

In 1986, 201 local dental programs received a dental survey requesting information on their programmatic activities. Survey categories included general agency information, dental coordinator characteristics, program budget, staffing and salaries, clinical services, health education and other programs, and miscellaneous questions. A total of 156 programs returned the survey, for a 77.6 percent response rate. This article provides descriptive data on various selected activities within local dental health organizations. Highlights include: (1) 12 agencies have terminated their dental program since 1982; (2) 88 percent of existing dental programs have a clinical component; and (3) the budgets of viable programs have increased over the past three years. These data will assist local health agencies and national organizations in program planning and serve as a resource for program directors, as well as those who are developing new programs.