Oral health

Current Projects

• Dentist Supply, Dental Care Utilization, and Oral Health Among Rural and Urban U.S. Residents: Exploring Changes in the Past 15 Years
  This project will describe the national supply of the rural and urban dental workforce and investigate whether rural adults, compared to urban adults, report lower dental care utilization, higher prevalence of dental disease or both. This study will also look at whether disparities in oral health care and supply have changed over the past 15 years.
  Research center: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Allied health professionals, Health disparities and health equity, Health services, Healthcare access, Oral health, Workforce
  
• Examining Changes in Health Care Accessibility in Rural Areas: An Analysis of HPSAs and MUAs Over Time and Their Relationship With Demographic Characteristics
  This study focuses on Health Professional Shortage Areas and Medically Underserved Areas and analyzes health care accessibility in rural areas. It uses data from the Health Resources and Services Administration and demographic information to identify trends, spatial patterns, and demographic intersections, aiming to inform policies and interventions for improved rural healthcare access and equity.
  Research center: Rural Health Equity Research Center
  Topics: Health disparities and health equity, Healthcare access, Mental and behavioral health, Oral health, Workforce
  
• Identifying High-Need Counties for Resource Planning
  The primary aim of this project is to use data examining health care infrastructure, chronic disease prevalence, and the socioeconomic environment to create a metric for classifying rural counties based on needs and resources.
  Research center: Rural and Minority Health Research Center
  Topics: Chronic diseases and conditions, Diabetes, Health disparities and health equity, Healthcare access, Maternal health, Obesity, Oral health, Physicians, Poverty, Public health, Rural statistics and demographics, Social determinants of health, Uninsured and underinsured, Workforce
  
• Rural-Urban Analysis of Persistent Health Professional Shortage Areas
  The study will describe rural-urban differences in persistent Health Professional Shortage Area designations for primary care, mental health, and dental care between 2010 and 2020, including those located in persistent poverty and majority minority counties.
  Research center: Rural Health Equity Research Center
  Topics: Healthcare access, Mental and behavioral health, Oral health, Workforce
  
• Trends in Health Workforce Supply in the Rural U.S.
  Rural communities in the U.S. have struggled to recruit and sustain sufficient health professionals to ensure adequate access to care. This study uses multiple sources of data to describe the geographic distribution (rural/urban, regional, and intra-rural) of numerous types of health professionals.
  Research center: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Allied health professionals, Healthcare access, Mental and behavioral health, Nurses and nurse practitioners, Oral health, Physician assistants, Physicians