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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Oral health

Trends in the Development of the Dental Service Organization Model: Implications for the Oral Health Workforce and Access to Services
Results of a 2017 survey of dental service organizations, which often build new practices in underserved and rural areas, and case studies of 6 dental support organizations providing general or specialty dentistry in North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Florida, and Massachusetts.
Author(s): Margaret Langelier, Shen Wang, Simona Surdu, Elizabeth Mertz, Cynthia Wides
Date: 08/2017
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Health Workforce Studies, Oral Health Workforce Research Center
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An Assessment of Mobile and Portable Dentistry Programs to Improve Population Oral Health
Describes configurations of portable and mobile dental programs including models and applications, discusses targeted populations, details variations in regulations by state, and examines outcomes of preventive interventions in rural areas. Includes case studies of 7 programs initiated to improve access in rural areas.
Additional links: Policy Brief
Author(s): Margaret Langelier, Jean Moore, Rachel Carter, et al.
Date: 08/2017
Sponsoring organization: Oral Health Workforce Research Center
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Dental Utilization for Communities Served by Dental Therapists in Alaska's Yukon Kuskokwim Delta: Findings from an Observational Quantitative Study
Presents results from a program evaluation designed to assess the impact of dental therapists on dental utilization and oral health outcomes in the Yukon Kuskokwim (YK) Delta of Alaska. Examines utilization and outcomes based on total dental therapist treatment days, presents results for both child and adult populations, and focuses on three primary measures: preventive dental care use, extraction of teeth, and dental care under general anesthesia.
Author(s): Donald L. Chi, Dane Lenaker, Lloyd Mancl, et al.
Date: 08/2017
Sponsoring organization: University of Washington
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Health Care Access and Utilization Among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Persons in the United States, 2014
Provides detailed statistics on healthcare access and utilization for the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) population as a whole, as well as multiple- and single-race NHPI populations, with comparisons to other groups and to the U.S. population. Topics addressed include health insurance coverage, usual place of care, emergency department visits, delayed care due to cost, dentist visits, influenza and pneumococcal vaccination, and HIV screening.
Author(s): Carla E. Zelaya, Adena M. Galinsky, Catherine Simile, Patricia M. Barnes
Citation: Vital and Health Statistics, 3(41)
Date: 08/2017
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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A Workforce Strategy for Reducing Oral Health Disparities: Dental Therapists
Presents a history of dental therapy as a workforce strategy, from development to implementation. Examines the states and tribal nations that have implemented dental therapists as a means to improve oral healthcare access.
Author(s): Jane Koppelman, Rebecca Singer-Cohen
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 107(Suppl 1), S13-S17
Date: 06/2017
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Access to Dental Care Remains a Challenge for Millions of Michiganders
Report reevaluates a study on oral healthcare access in Michigan. Breaks down key takeaways from the study, such as rates of Medicaid enrolled dentists, access for low-income populations, and dentist distribution.
Date: 05/2017
Sponsoring organization: Pew Charitable Trusts
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MORE Care: Narrowing the Rural Interprofessional Oral Health Care Gap
Presents an integrated healthcare model that connects oral health to primary care Rural Health Clinics (RHCs). Discusses challenges and strategies in implementing oral health interprofessional practice (IPP), such as developing dental referral networks and ensuring access to health information technology, among others. Details the collaboration between the State Offices of Rural Health in South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Colorado with the DentaQuest Institute and the Medical University of South Carolina.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Sean G. Boynes, Lisa Davis, Graham Adams, Michelle Mills, Mark Deutchman
Date: 05/2017
Sponsoring organization: DentaQuest Institute
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The Oral Health of Montana's Head Start Children, 2016
Describes the prevalence of tooth decay among Montana children aged three to five years enrolled in Head Start compared to children aged three to five years in the general U.S. population from 2015 to 2016. Includes data on decay experience and untreated decay for Montana Head Start children aged three to five years from 2015 to 2016 by gender, race and ethnicity, and rurality.
Date: 04/2017
Sponsoring organization: Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services
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The Oral Health of American Indian and Alaska Native Children Aged 6-9 Years: Results of the 2016-2017 IHS Oral Health Survey
Provides an overview of the oral health status of American Indian and Alaska Native children in kindergarten through third grad using data from the 2016-2017 Indian Health Service (IHS) oral health surveillance survey.
Author(s): Kathy R. Phipps, Timothy L. Ricks
Date: 04/2017
Sponsoring organization: Indian Health Service
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Oral Health and Medical Conditions among Amish Children
Study of oral health among Amish children in Geauga County, Ohio. Data taken from a questionnaire completed by parents whose children received care at a mobile dental unit. Discusses oral health in relation to other health disparities for Amish children, including bleeding disorder and asthma.
Author(s): Masahiro Heima, Marc-Allen Harrison, Peter Milgrom
Citation: Journal of Clinical and Experimental Dentistry, 9(3), e338-e343
Date: 03/2017
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