Oral public health's "patient" is the community, so the Section must survey individuals in a community to determine the overall oral health of that community. There are three ways that the Section measures the health of a community. These are:

	Calibrated Dental Assessments - measure specific oral conditions like tooth decay.
	Dental Disease Assessments - search for tooth decay and other disease conditions in individuals and refer them for dental care.
	Epidemiological Surveys - scientifically measure the quantity and types of oral disease in a population.

Over 280,000 elementary children participate in assessments annually. Children who have dental problems and need dental care are referred to public or private practice dental care professionals.

Epidemiological surveys are conducted approximately every 15 years. The most recent epidemiological survey was conducted during the 2003-2004 school year.