Oral Health in Rural Communities – Resources

The Economic Impact of a Rural Dentist
Measures the impact that dentists have on rural counties. Uses data from 13 rural dental clinics in Oklahoma, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Nevada.
Author(s): Gerald A. Doeksen, Fred C. Eilrich, Cheryl F. St. Clair
Date: 08/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Rural Health Works
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Expanding the Dental Team: Increasing Access to Care in Public Settings
Looks at 3 examples of midlevel dental providers working to expand care to underserved populations. Highlights three practices in Minnesota, California, and Alaska, the latter deploying dental health aide therapists to distant rural locations.
Date: 06/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Pew Charitable Trusts
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Alternative Workforce Models Chart
A table identifying and describing the alternative dental workforce models used in underserved and rural areas by state.
Date: 05/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Dental Education Association
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QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged ≥65 Years Who Have Lost All Their Natural Teeth, by Type of Locality and Region — National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2010–2012
Chart showing the percent of adults 65 or older with no natural teeth in nonmetropolitan areas compared to metropolitan areas, broken down by region, based on data from the 2010-2012 National Health Interview Survey.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 63(13), 297
Date: 04/2014
Type: Chart/Graph
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged ≥18 Years Who Have Lost All Their Natural Teeth, by Age Group and Type of Locality — National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2010–2012
Bar chart showing the percent of adults with no natural teeth in nonmetropolitan areas compared to metropolitan areas, broken down by age group, based on data from the 2010-2012 National Health Interview Survey.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 63(10), 225
Date: 03/2014
Type: Chart/Graph
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Expanding the Dental Team: Studies of Two Private Practices
Analyzes two dental practices: Main Street Dental Care in Montevideo, MN, and Battlefords Dental Group in Saskatchewan, Canada. Also highlights dental therapists in Alaska. Discusses dentists being able to serve more privately insured and underserved patients, the increase in children and families who are able to get dental care who often go without, and how dental therapists help address critical problems surrounding access to dental care.
Date: 02/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Pew Charitable Trusts
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Dental Services: Information on Coverage, Payments, and Fee Variation
Describes trends in dental services coverage and payments, and the extent of variation in dental fees in selected communities. Appendix II includes statistics comparing dental visit rates in urban and rural areas.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2013
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Rural America's Oral Health Care Needs
Provides an overview of rural America's oral healthcare needs. Includes recommendations for improving oral health in rural America.
Author(s): Anne Braswell, Nalo Johnson
Date: 02/2013
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Returning the Mouth to the Body: Integrating Oral Health & Primary Care
Describes how coordinating oral health and primary care services can address dental health disparities affecting vulnerable populations including those in rural and underserved areas.
Date: 09/2012
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Grantmakers in Health
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State Policy Levers for Addressing Preventive Dental Care Disparities for Rural Children: Medicaid Reimbursement to Non-Dental Clinicians for Fluoride Varnish and Dental Hygiene Supervision in Primary Care Safety Net Settings
Addresses preventive dental care disparities for rural children by studying access to fluoride varnish applications and the extent that dental hygienists can provide select preventive dental services in primary care safety net settings.
Additional links: Fact Sheet
Author(s): Amy Brock Martin, Jessica Bellinger, Jeff Hatala, Jordan Mitchell, Janice C. Probst
Date: 03/2012
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
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