Dental health
Current Projects
Analysis of State Dental Hygiene Practice Acts and Medicaid Policies for Children’s Dental Care: Services Covered and Practitioners Reimbursed
Research center:
South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Children,
Dental health,
Health disparities,
Maternal and child health,
Medicaid and S-CHIP
The purpose of this qualitative analysis will be to obtain a clear picture of the degree to which (1) state SCHIP and Medicaid programs are implementing waivers, or other programs, to improve access to dental care for vulnerable populations including children and pregnant women; and (2) dental hygienists impact the dental safety net for rural America.
Dental Sealant Utilization among Rural and Urban Children
Research center:
South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Children,
Dental health
Dental sealants can prevent or reduce dental caries among children, but only about a third of children currently have sealants. This project will explore the dissemination of sealants among rural children, identifying characteristics of children and communities with low sealant use.
Dentist Supply, Access to Dental Care, and Oral Health among Rural and Urban Residents: A National Study
Research center:
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Dental health,
Workforce
This study will determine whether shortages of dentists in rural areas of the U.S. are associated with impaired access to dental care and a higher prevalence of dental disease.
Use of Emergency Departments and Inpatient Care for Conditions Related to Poor Oral Health Care
Research center:
Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Dental health,
Health services
This study combines patient-level data from emergency departments and inpatient hospitals from selected states with data on dental HPSA designation, Medicaid dental coverage, and area population characteristics to document the extent to which ED and inpatient settings are used to treat problems related to poor oral health care, the charges for such care, and variations in the use of such services by characteristics of the patient and the area.
WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho) Rural Health Workforce Monograph: Guide for State Legislators Regarding Rural Workforce Information and Issues
Research center:
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Dental health,
Nurses,
Physicians,
Workforce
This project will compile and present state-level information about the rural health workforce in the WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho) region, including data on various health care disciplines. The resulting monograph will illustrate issues such as the shortage of different types of health care providers in various kinds of rural locations.
