Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Oral Health in Rural Communities – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Oral Health in Rural Communities.

Improving the Oral Health of Rural Veterans
Report explores rural veterans' access to oral healthcare. Compares the oral health of rural and urban veterans, highlights barriers to oral healthcare in rural areas, and makes recommendations for expanding access to oral healthcare.
Author(s): Annaliese Cothron, Hayam Megally, Don Clermont
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: CareQuest Institute for Oral Health
view details
Teledentistry Trends in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Reviews the use of teledentistry during and following the COVID-19 pandemic in California, Maine, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, and examines reimbursement issues and supports needed to enhance dental care in a post-COVID-19 world. Mentions rural throughout.
Author(s): Miranda Werts, Prashanta Patel, Elizabeth Mertz
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Oral Health Workforce Research Center
view details
Risk Perceptions of Drinking Bottled vs. Tap Water in a Low-Income Community on the US-Mexico Border
Presents a study on rates of bottled water usage among low-income Latinos on the U.S.-Mexico border. Explores concerns about tap-water quality and oral health consequences of drinking unfluoridated water. Draws conclusions from interviews of low-income Latino households about the perceived safety of tap water in Nogales, Arizona.
Author(s): Kerton R. Victory, Amanda M. Wilson, Nolan L. Cabrera, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 22, 1712
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
view details
Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Tribal Populations in Oklahoma
Report discusses tribal oral healthcare access for American Indian communities in Oklahoma. Highlights the oral health disparities across the Indian Health Service (IHS) system and explores barriers to oral healthcare access for the federally-recognized tribes in the state.
Author(s): Allie Atkeson
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
view details
Engaging Tribal Populations to Improve Oral Health Care Access in Arizona
Report discusses tribal oral healthcare and proposes strategies to improve access for American Indian communities in Arizona. Highlights the federally-recognized tribes in the state and details the status of oral healthcare in the Indian Health Service (IHS) system.
Author(s): Ella Roth, Allie Atkeson
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
view details
Supporting Dental Therapy through Title VII Training Programs: A Meaningful Strategy for Implementing Equitable Oral Health Care - Nineteenth Annual Report to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and to Congress
Offers policy and program development recommendations to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regarding primary care and dental training and education. Provides an overview of the importance of oral health, oral health disparities, and the dental therapy profession. Recommendations cover federal funding for dental therapy programs, dental therapy faculty and dental therapists' inclusion in loan forgiveness programs, and a longitudinal tracking mechanism for dental therapy trainees, faculty, and graduates. Highlights a dental therapy pilot program serving tribal communities in Alaska.
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry
view details
Provider and Patient Satisfaction With the Dental Therapy Workforce at Apple Tree Dental
Describes satisfaction of clinical providers, organizational administrators, and patients with the dental therapy workforce at Apple Tree Dental Centers, a not-for-profit community dental organization with locations in urban and rural Minnesota. Features demographics with breakdowns by urban or rural location of clinic and residence of patients.
Author(s): Margaret Langelier, Simona Surdu, Ellen O'Malley
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Workforce Studies
view details
Dentist Perceptions About the Value of Teledentistry
Highlights a study on dentist's perceptions on teledentistry as a means of expanding access to oral healthcare across the country. Discusses the role teledentistry plays in rural and underserved areas. Explores perceived barriers to adopting teledentistry.
Author(s): Tamanna Tiwari, Vuong Diep, Eric Tranby, et al.
Citation: BMC Oral Health, 22, 176
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
view details
Evaluating Access to Pediatric Dental Care in the Southeast States
Analyzed 2019 American Community Survey data to evaluate dental care access for children in 10 southeastern states. Considers insurance type and rurality. Makes recommendations for policymakers considering interventions. Note the abstract to the publisher's final edited version of this article.
Author(s): Nicoleta Serban, Simin Ma, Katrine Pospichel, Lisha Yang
Citation: The Journal of the American Dental Association, 153(4), 330-341
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
view details
Dental Care Utilization Among Adults Aged 18−64: United States, 2019 and 2020
Describes changes in the prevalence of dental visits among adults aged 18-64 between 2019 and 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began and many dental practices limited hours and services. Includes information by location for large metropolitan, large fringe metro, small and medium metro, and nonmetro areas.
Author(s): Amy E. Cha, Robin A. Cohen
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
view details

Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:


Last Updated: 6/4/2024