A Dental Coalition subcommittee was charged with developing a proposed definition of adolescence. After reviewing existing definitions from PIPPAH Partner organizations as well as other medical, dental, public health and education organizations, and to keep the definition as broad as possible, the subcommittee suggested (and the coalition agreed) that the document A Conceptual Framework for Adolescent Health be used as a reference point for definitions.

The Framework was developed through a partnership between the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP) and the State Adolescent Health Coordinators Network (SAHCN). According to the Framework, AMCHP and SAHCN "came to a consensus that together they could identify and build ownership for a common vision for adolescent health, and identify the strategies and resources for implementing this vision in public health agencies and maternal and child health programs. The vision is presented in the Conceptual Framework for Adolescent Health."

The Framework also provides answers to fundamental questions such as "Why Focus on Adolescent Health?" as well as outlining guiding principles for Public Health in the adolescent health arena.