Develop your technical expertise and ability to communicate the benefits of fluoridation in this free, unique training to maintain your license and certification
Up to 7 FREE contact hours (0.7 continuing education units, CEUs) are available for California water operators through the California Oral Health Technical Assistance Center (COHTAC) based at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). COHTAC will award contact hours to water operators who complete a free online fluoridation training course developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
CDC has created a training course for state fluoridation program staff and water operators. The course is titled Fluoridation Learning Online (FLO). Upon course completion, COHTAC will issue contact hours based on the number of training modules completed.
How to Obtain Free Contact Hours
Upon completion of each module, a certificate of completion will be issued by CDC. You must retain the certificate for each module completed and send the certificate(s) to [email protected] to obtain the appropriate contact hours. One contact hour will be awarded for each of the first 3 modules of FLO; estimated completion time for each module is one hour. Four contact hours will be awarded for completion of module four of FLO; estimated completion time is 4 hours. COHTAC will, in turn, issue a contact hour certificate indicating the number of hours completed and the contact hours awarded. Records of contact hours awarded will held by COHTAC for three years.
Training Overview
Fluoridation Learning Online is CDC’s main training for state fluoridation program staff and water operators. This training is designed to be accessible on multiple devices, including most desktop, laptop, tablet, and mobile devices. The course is a free, web-based training available through CDC TRAIN, an affiliate of the Public Health Foundation's TRAIN Learning Network, which provides access to more than 1,000 courses developed by CDC programs, grantees, and other funded partners.
Course Description
Fluoridation Learning Online (FLO) consists of four modules. The first three modules describe the fundamentals of community water fluoridation, including how fluoride works and why we use it; how state programs support and communicate fluoridation's benefits; and how water treatment systems are designed and operate. Each of these modules can be completed in about an hour, earning learners 1 contact hour (0.1 CEU) for each module completed. The fourth module contains detailed technical information on fluoridation operations, including lessons on fluoride additives, safety, operations, and testing. This extended 12-lesson module may take up to 4 hours to complete, earning learners 4 contact hours (0.4 CEUs) for completion.
- Module 1: Water Fluoridation Background discusses the history and science of fluoridation, fluoridation's benefits, and health effects (1 contact hour).
- Module 2: State Water Fluoridation Activities reviews state program management and oversight, and communication principles (1 contact hour).
- Module 3: Water Treatment Background provides an overview of water system operations and design (1 contact hour).
- Module 4: Water Fluoridation Operations provides technical information related to water fluoridation additives and operations (4 contact hours).
The training saves learners' progress across multiple sessions, so learners can take the course at their own pace. Note: You will need to log in with your CDC TRAIN account or create an account if you do not have one to access the training modules. For a more detailed course description, please visit the CDC Fluoridation Learning Online website.
