Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations

Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309209463
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 296

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Book Description
Access to oral health care is essential to promoting and maintaining overall health and well-being, yet only half of the population visits a dentist each year. Poor and minority children are less likely to have access to oral health care than are their nonpoor and nonminority peers. Older adults, people who live in rural areas, and disabled individuals, uniformly confront access barriers, regardless of their financial resources. The consequences of these disparities in access to oral health care can lead to a number of conditions including malnutrition, childhood speech problems, infections, diabetes, heart disease, and premature births. Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations examines the scope and consequences of inadequate access to oral health services in the United States and recommends ways to combat the economic, structural, geographic, and cultural factors that prevent access to regular, quality care. The report suggests changing funding and reimbursement for dental care; expanding the oral health work force by training doctors, nurses, and other nondental professionals to recognize risk for oral diseases; and revamping regulatory, educational, and administrative practices. It also recommends changes to incorporate oral health care into overall health care. These recommendations support the creation of a diverse workforce that is competent, compensated, and authorized to serve vulnerable and underserved populations across the life cycle. The recommendations provided in Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations will help direct the efforts of federal, state, and local government agencies; policy makers; health professionals in all fields; private and public health organizations; licensing and accreditation bodies; educational institutions; health care researchers; and philanthropic and advocacy organizations.

Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations

Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309209463
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 296

Get Book Here

Book Description
Access to oral health care is essential to promoting and maintaining overall health and well-being, yet only half of the population visits a dentist each year. Poor and minority children are less likely to have access to oral health care than are their nonpoor and nonminority peers. Older adults, people who live in rural areas, and disabled individuals, uniformly confront access barriers, regardless of their financial resources. The consequences of these disparities in access to oral health care can lead to a number of conditions including malnutrition, childhood speech problems, infections, diabetes, heart disease, and premature births. Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations examines the scope and consequences of inadequate access to oral health services in the United States and recommends ways to combat the economic, structural, geographic, and cultural factors that prevent access to regular, quality care. The report suggests changing funding and reimbursement for dental care; expanding the oral health work force by training doctors, nurses, and other nondental professionals to recognize risk for oral diseases; and revamping regulatory, educational, and administrative practices. It also recommends changes to incorporate oral health care into overall health care. These recommendations support the creation of a diverse workforce that is competent, compensated, and authorized to serve vulnerable and underserved populations across the life cycle. The recommendations provided in Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations will help direct the efforts of federal, state, and local government agencies; policy makers; health professionals in all fields; private and public health organizations; licensing and accreditation bodies; educational institutions; health care researchers; and philanthropic and advocacy organizations.

Preventive Dental Services for Infants and Subsequent Utilization of Dental Services

Preventive Dental Services for Infants and Subsequent Utilization of Dental Services PDF Author: Elizabeth Jane Berry
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 68

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Book Description
The purpose of this study was to examine the use of dental services for young children following a preventive oral health intervention in a pediatric medical clinic. Over a 3 year period (2005-2008), children 0-36 months of age, enrolled in Medicaid, were provided preventive oral health services in a medical setting. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression were used to determine the effect receiving the preventive oral health services in a medical setting with the outcomes of dental utilization. 15% were determined to have dental caries at the intervention and 42% found to have a dental visit post-intervention. Children determined to have decay at the intervention were significantly more likely to have one or more restorative or adjunctive service post-intervention. After receiving preventive oral health care in a medical clinic, the resulting utilization of dental services was higher than what is commonly reported for dental utilization in infant populations of low-income children.

Factors which Affect the Utilization of Dental Services

Factors which Affect the Utilization of Dental Services PDF Author: Jeffrey C. Bauer
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Dental care
Languages : en
Pages : 88

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Book Description


Dental Care in a Group Purchase Plan

Dental Care in a Group Purchase Plan PDF Author: United States. Division of Dental Resources
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Dental care
Languages : en
Pages : 80

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Book Description


Advancing Oral Health in America

Advancing Oral Health in America PDF Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309186307
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 211

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Book Description
Though it is highly preventable, tooth decay is a common chronic disease both in the United States and worldwide. Evidence shows that decay and other oral diseases may be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. However, individuals and many health care professionals remain unaware of the risk factors and preventive approaches for many oral diseases. They do not fully appreciate how oral health affects overall health and well-being. In Advancing Oral Health in America, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) highlights the vital role that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) can play in improving oral health and oral health care in the United States. The IOM recommends that HHS design an oral health initiative which has clearly articulated goals, is coordinated effectively, adequately funded and has high-level accountability. In addition, the IOM stresses three key areas needed for successfully maintaining oral health as a priority issue: strong leadership, sustained interest, and the involvement of multiple stakeholders from both the public and private sectors. Advancing Oral Health in America provides practical recommendations that the Department of Health and Human Services can use to improve oral health care in America. The report will serve as a vital resource for federal health agencies, health care professionals, policy makers, researchers, and public and private health organizations.

The U.S. Oral Health Workforce in the Coming Decade

The U.S. Oral Health Workforce in the Coming Decade PDF Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309147948
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 183

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Book Description
Access to oral health services is a problem for all segments of the U.S. population, and especially problematic for vulnerable populations, such as rural and underserved populations. The many challenges to improving access to oral health services include the lack of coordination and integration among the oral health, public health, and medical health care systems; misaligned payment and education systems that focus on the treatment of dental disease rather than prevention; the lack of a robust evidence base for many dental procedures and workforce models; and regulatory barriers that prevent the exploration of alternative models of care. This volume, the summary of a three-day workshop, evaluates the sufficiency of the U.S. oral health workforce to consider three key questions: What is the current status of access to oral health services for the U.S. population? What workforce strategies hold promise to improve access to oral health services? How can policy makers, state and federal governments, and oral health care providers and practitioners improve the regulations and structure of the oral health care system to improve access to oral health services?

The Effect of Medicaid Policy Reform on Dental Utilization Rates for Children

The Effect of Medicaid Policy Reform on Dental Utilization Rates for Children PDF Author: Matthew. A. Winheim
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Background: Regular access to dental services is a well-known factor in the oral health and development of children.1 As such, the United States federal government mandates each state to include dental services for children enrolled in Medicaid through the age of 21. Despite this mandate, the utilization rate of dental services among Medicaid enrolled children has remained remarkably low.2 In July 2005, Virginia implemented a sweeping Medicaid policy reform titled "Smiles for Children" specifically aiming to increase Medicaid pediatric dental utilization rates. The purpose of this study aims to assess the effect of this 2005 policy reform on the utilization of dental services by children enrolled in Medicaid. Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the 2005 Virginia Smiles for Children Medicaid policy reform on the utilization of dental services among Medicaid enrolled children. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of children (pre-reform n=559,820, post-reform n=690,538) enrolled in Virginia Medicaid from 2002 through 2008. Descriptive statistics and repeated measures multivariate logistic regressions were used to determine the relationship between enrollment (Pre- and Post-policy reform) and the utilization of dental services (1+ Dental Visits vs. No Dental Visits). Results: Descriptive analysis of the cohort found that 34% of pre-reform children had a dental visit while 44% of post-reform children. The logistic regression models revealed that children in the post reform period were 1.39 as likely to have had a dental visit. Stratifying for enrollment length reveals that as the length of exposure time to the post-reform policy increases, the odds of having a dental visit also increase as compared to the pre-reform period: for 31-36 months of enrollment the odds increase 1.54 times. Conclusions: Medicaid policy reform can significantly improve access to dental services for children and can therefore play an important role in promoting public health.

Dental Services

Dental Services PDF Author: U. S. Government U.S. Government Accountability Office
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781514373279
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 76

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Book Description
High rates of dental disease remain prevalent across the nation, especially in vulnerable and underserved populations. According to national surveys, 42 percent of adults with tooth or mouth problems did not see a dentist in 2008 because they did not have dental insurance or could not afford the out-of-pocket payments, and in 2011, 4 million children did not obtain needed dental care because their families could not afford it. In 2011, the Institute of Medicine reported that there is strong evidence that dental coverage is positively tied to access to and use of oral health care. For families without dental coverage, federally funded health centers may offer an affordable dental care option. Health centers are required to offer sliding fee schedules with discounts of up to 100 percent for many low-income patients. GAO was asked to examine dental services in the United States. This report describes (1) trends in coverage for, and use of, dental services; (2) trends in payments by individuals and other payers for dental services; and (3) the extent to which dental fees vary between and within selected communities across the nation. To do this work, GAO examined HHS national health survey data and national dental expenditure estimates, dental insurance claims data, and health center dental fees in 18 selected communities (based on census region, population, and dental claims volume). GAO also interviewed HHS officials and academic experts.

The Effects of Prepayment on the Utilization of Dental Services

The Effects of Prepayment on the Utilization of Dental Services PDF Author: Melvin A. Glasser
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Dental care
Languages : en
Pages : 308

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Book Description


Explaining Dental Utilization Behavior

Explaining Dental Utilization Behavior PDF Author: Allyson Ross Davies
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Behavior
Languages : en
Pages : 172

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Book Description
This report examines the factors other than dental health insurance that explain people's use of dental health services. In particular, it addresses three questions: (1) What explains the substantial percentage of people with dental health insurance who do not use any dental care during a year? (2) What underlying--and often unmeasured--differences in need, attitudes, or continuity manifest themselves as observed sociodemographic group variations in use of dental care? (3) Do the same or different factors account for care-seeking and for amount of care once an individual enters the system? The authors found that those in poorer health were less likely to use dental services, as were the less satisfied and those less likely to have seen the same dentist previously.