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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Oral health

Addressing Rural Seniors' Unmet Needs For Oral Health Care
Highlights a study on barriers to oral healthcare for rural seniors. Discusses the poor health outcomes seniors face when they lack access to oral healthcare. Details barriers such as cost, lack of insurance coverage, and provider shortages, among others.
Author(s): Cheryl Fish-Parcham, Melissa Burroughs, Eric P. Tranby, Avery R. Brow
Citation: Health Affairs Blog
Date: 05/2019
Type: Document
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Collaborative Practice as a Strategy for Increasing Access to Oral Health Care in Minnesota
Report highlights the collaborative practices of Minnesota's oral health workforce to improve access to oral healthcare in rural areas. Details the collaboration of dentists, dental assistants, hygienists, and dental therapists in Minnesota.
Date: 05/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: The Network for Public Health Law
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Improving Oral Health Care Services in Rural America from the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
Webinar recording discusses oral healthcare access in rural communities and the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services' recommendations to improve access for rural people across the country.
Additional links: Audio Recording, PowerPoint Handout, Webinar Transcript
Date: 05/2019
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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A Tale of Two Public Dental Benefit Programs: Iowa Dentist Participation in Traditional Medicaid Versus a Medicaid Expansion Program
Examines differences in dentist participation in Iowa's Dental Wellness Plan and Medicaid programs and discusses the policy implications for oral health access. Addresses differences in rural and urban participation in both programs.
Author(s): Julie C. Reynolds, Susan C. McKernan, Peter C. Damiano, Raymond A. Kuthy
Citation: BMC Oral Health, 19, 89
Date: 05/2019
Type: Document
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New Dental Provider Orientation
Presentation template provides guidance for new or prospective dentists working in the Indian Health Service (IHS). Details the scope and mission of IHS and highlights the hiring process and demands of oral health providers. Presents general information regarding IHS facilities across the country.
Date: 04/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Indian Health Service
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The Oral Health of American Indian and Alaska Native Children Aged 1-5 Years: Results of the 2018-19 IHS Oral Health Survey
Details the results of a survey on the oral health of American Indian and Alaska Native children ages 1-5. Compares rates to other groups and with rates from 2010 and 2014. Discusses the potential negative health effects of poor oral health during childhood.
Author(s): Kathy R. Phipps, Timothy L. Ricks, Nathan P. Mork, Timothy L. Lozon
Date: 04/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Indian Health Service
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Oral Health: Targeting Rural Areas
Compiles articles from a special issue of the Texas Public Health Journal focusing on rural oral health in Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. Covers emergency department use in Texas for oral health needs in rural versus urban counties, geriatric oral health and workforce options such as teledentistry, a Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment project under a state waiver targeting rural communities, partnerships to reach underserved areas and pregnant women, and oral health initiatives in Louisiana and Oklahoma.
Citation: Texas Public Health Journal, 71(2), 2-16
Date: 04/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Texas Public Health Association
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Indiana Primary Care Needs Assessment, 2019
Summarizes 2015-2018 efforts to identify gaps in healthcare access and allocate resources to communities in greatest need. Lists Primary Care, Mental, and Dental Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations obtained between 2015 and 2018. Identifies population health priorities related to infant mortality, obesity, smoking, and substance misuse in Indiana.
Author(s): Chipo Chavanduka, Sierra Vaughn, Hannah Maxey
Date: 03/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy
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Consumer Survey of Barriers to and Facilitators of Access to Oral Health Services
Results of a 2018 survey of U.S. adults to examine factors contributing to oral health disparities. Features statistics including geographic distribution of respondents and distribution of self-reported need for dental care, with breakdowns by rural, suburban, or urban location.
Author(s): Simona Surdu, Margaret Langelier, Sohini Dhar, Mia Stufflebeam
Date: 03/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Oral Health Workforce Research Center
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Drilling Down on Dental Coverage and Costs for Medicare Beneficiaries
Examines the oral health of Medicare beneficiaries. Addresses the costs of not obtaining dental care, use of dental services, current sources of dental coverage, and out-of-pocket spending. Includes rural/urban breakdowns.
Date: 03/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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