Oral Health & Chronic Disease

The Division of Oral Health (DOH) is partnering with the Division of Injury and Substance Abuse Prevention (DISAP) to support opioid prevention activities in South Carolina through the Overdose Data to Action (OD2A) Initiative. OD2A is a CDC-funded cooperative agreement that supports the collection of high quality, comprehensive, and timely data on nonfatal and fatal overdoses and the usage of this data to inform prevention and response efforts. OD2A focuses on understanding and tracking the complex and changing nature of the drug overdose epidemic and highlights the need for seamless integration of data into prevention strategies.

As the opioid crisis continues to be a leading cause of preventable death in South Carolina, the DOH will work to expand the reach of the OD2A project to the dental community with a focus on training for clinical staff and prevention information for patients. This will take place by working with dental providers, Federally-Qualified Health Centers, and community-based entities to support provider education, create useful tools that promote provider-patient engagement and make resources available to patients. The DOH will conduct a multi-initiative approach to address the opioid crisis by using data to inform action in efforts to reduce opioid exposure and the dangers of fentanyl in illicit drug use.

These strategies are aligned with Priority 4 of the State Oral Health Plan 2022-2026 that supports the expansion and incorporation of oral health competencies in the health profession pipeline and overall network; and Priority 3 that calls for the integration of evidence based oral health policies, messaging, and inventions within targeted public health priorities.

The overall goals of the Overdose Data to Action (OD2A) initiative include:

Reduction in exposure to opioids for outpatient procedures;
Raised awareness about illicit drug use and unintended fentanyl use;
Provision of culturally and linguistically competent resources for patient education and engagement; and
Support of a statewide response to reduce preventable overdose.

Learn more about what DPH is doing regarding the Opioid Epidemic. You’ll be able to find the South Carolina OD2A Impact Report, information on prescription misuse, and treatment centers near you.

Partner Pledge & Resources

Thank you for raising your hand to be a part of our growing coalition of partners that pledge to proactively engage with patients, family members and caregivers about the treatment options available for pain, the preferential use of NSAIDs and acetaminophen for pain management, and risks associated with prescription opioids.

Your consistent engagement will cultivate community members that have a clear understanding of their post-treatment expectations and a pain management plan utilizing safer, more effective methods. Inspiring a cultural shift away from analgesics will help combat the opioid epidemic by engaging your patients to make sure they understand their rights, risks and responsibilities associated with prescription opioids as it pertains to their dental and overall health.

Join the public pledge of OD2A supporters by filling out the form below.

OD2A Pledge Form

Social Media Toolkit

Coming soon...

To introduce partners and advocates to Overdoes Data to Action (OD2A) Initiative and help drive engagement and action among the of supporters via social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. All partners are strongly encouraged to share and amplify the initiative content on their own social platforms with the help of the social media kit below.

Proud OD2A Partner