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American Public Health Association
133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition
December 10-14, 2005
Philadelphia, PA
APHA 2005
 
3072.7: Monday, December 12, 2005 - Board 5

Abstract #106923

Comparative student run domestic and foreign oral health intervention programs for children’s residential facilities: Boston, Massachusetts vs. Lusaka, Zambia

Sam A. Merabi, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, 69 Marshall Street #2, Somerville, MA 02145, (617) 718 -0555, smerabi@hotmail.com

The healthcare needs for children in residential care facilities are varied and specific to the type of facility and groups of children that are cared for. Due to the overwhelming requirements for care, oral health can often fall out of priority or be neglected altogether. Thus, implementing oral health intervention programs in children's housing facilities requires detailed plans that are specifically tailored to the child care center. These programs can be initiated even on a minimal student budget. As a dental student who initiated oral health promotion programs for children in residential care in Boston, Massachusetts and in Lusaka, Zambia, I shall present comparative organizational solutions that follow a need, solution, and sustainability model. Factors taken into consideration with the program design indude the level of present oral health, diet, prevalence of disease, and level of resources. The presentation focuses on organized programs tailored to meet those needs, their respective funding, and their budgets. Also discussed will be specific difficulties of implementing oral health intervention programs in each location. The analysis concludes with plans to maintain the oral health promotion programs to insure sustainable improvements in oral health. Such analysis resulted into vastly different program designs for each population. A comparative study of the oral health intervention designs is presented. A video documentary is also available for presentation of the Zambian program. The comparative study relays information to guide students and professionals to initiate similar programs both domestically and abroad.

Learning Objectives:

  • Identify oral health risk factors for children living in residential care facilities in Boston, MA and Lusaka, Zambia.
  • Discuss comparative difficulties and problems in developing oral health intervention programs domestically and abroad.
  • Construct specifically tailored oral health programs on a student's budget that can meet oral health needs

    Keywords: International Public Health, Oral Health Needs

    Presenting author's disclosure statement:

    I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

    Oral Health Poster Session I

    The 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition (December 10-14, 2005) of APHA