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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Christina Chan, BS, Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois, 1206 S. Fourth St, 127 Huff Hall, Champaign, IL 31820, 217-333-6876, cchan@uiuc.edu and Susan Farner, PhD, Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1206 S. Fourth St, 127 Huff Hall, Champaign, IL 61820.

In order to assess the impact of the Advocate Health Care Mobile Dental Program (Chicago), surveys were distributed to all new, first time patients and re-administered 10-12 months from the individuals' initial office visit. Surveys addressed the patients' self-perceptions of their overall oral health and the impact their oral health level influenced overall quality of life aspects. Furthermore, the number of “diseased teeth” (teeth with caries or periodontal pockets greater than 4mm depth) was also noted on each survey. As of December 31, 2005 a total of 658 surveys were collected, 82 of which are duplicate/follow-up surveys. The median age of the participants is 42 years, with 44.3% male and 55.7% female respondents. The primary ethnic groups consist of 59.8% African-American, 22.1% Hispanic, and 14.5% White patients. The number of patients is distributed consistently through the service sites, which are categorized as one of the following: Disabled Facility, High School/Elementary School, Homeless, Nursing Home/Assisted Living Facility, or Primary Care Center. Utilizing the duplicate/follow-up surveys, the Advocate Health Care Mobile Dental Program had a significant impact on reducing the number of diseased teeth from a mean of 4.99 to 3.01 (P=0.005). Furthermore, there exists a significant decrease in the frequency of individuals' avoidance of eating certain foods (P=0.0097).

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss the impact of dental services and attaining adequate oral health on overall quality of life.
• Recognize the problems with oral health encountered by underserved populations.
• Describe how a mobile dental clinic works within underserved populations.

Keywords: Underserved Populations, Oral Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation