Topic Pages: Dental health

On this page:

• Tools
• Funding
• Publications
• Journals
• Organizations

Tools

• ADA Report Provides Checkup on Children's Dental Medicaid Programs
  Contains reports on all 50 states, including the main report titled State Innovations to Improve Access to Oral Health Care for Low-Income Children: A Compendium. Developed to record the activities states have pursued in an effort to improve access to oral health care for children enrolled in Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program.
  Sponsoring organization: American Dental Association
• Early Childhood Caries Project (ECCP)
  Transdisciplinary health care approach to prevention of dental disease in children ages 0 -3 years.
  Sponsoring organization: Association of Clinicians for the Underserved
• Dental Health Information Guide
  Information, resources and frequently asked questions related to oral health and rural areas.
  Sponsoring organization: Rural Assistance Center
• Oral Health Maps
  Interactive mapping tool that presents indicators of oral health and preventive interventions for oral health. Availability of data varies by state.
  Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• National Oral Health Surveillance System (NOHSS)
  Helps public health programs monitor oral disease, use of the oral health care delivery system, and the status of community water fluoridation on both a state and national level.
  Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Foundation Funding Guide: Oral Health
  Lists state and national foundations with an interest in oral health.
  Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
• MedlinePlus: Child Dental Health
  Contains listings of research articles, and health information on child dental health.
  Sponsoring organization: National Library of Medicine
• MedlinePlus: Dental Health
  Contains listings of research articles, and health information on dental health.
  Sponsoring organization: National Library of Medicine

Funding

• Academy of General Dentistry Foundation Grants
  Grants to programs that improve the oral health of the public and promote the professional development of the general dentist.
      Geographic Coverage: Nationwide
      Application Deadline: Applications accepted on an ongoing basis
      Sponsor: Academy of General Dentistry
• Indian Health Service Dental Externships
  Externships to dental students interested in a career with the Indian Health Service Division of Oral Health or a Tribal site.
      Geographic Coverage: Nationwide
      Application Deadline: Feb 28, 2010
      Sponsor: Indian Health Service
• Oral Health of Special Needs and Older Populations
  Financial awards for clinical research focused on oral health of special needs populations.
      Geographic Coverage: Nationwide
      Application Deadline: Jan 8, 2010
      Sponsor: National Institutes of Health
• Regional Community Health Grants Program
  This program provides funding focused on reducing disparities in health care among racial and ethnic populations in eligible geographic areas.
      Geographic Coverage: Nationwide
      Application Deadline: Applications accepted on an ongoing basis
      Sponsor: Aetna Foundation
• Samuel Harris Fund for Children's Dental Health Dentistry Grant Program
  Grants for oral health promotion programs designed to improve and maintain children's oral health through community education programs.
      Geographic Coverage: Nationwide
      Application Deadline: Jan 8, 2010
      Sponsor: American Dental Association

Publications

• 2003 Oral Health Report Card - Keep America Smiling: Oral Health in America
  Discusses the 2003 oral health report card for the United States.
  Sponsoring organization: Oral Health America
  Date: 05 / 2003
  Format: PDF
  
• 2004 Report to the Secretary: Rural Health and Human Service Issues
  Report to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Overview of key issues and trends affecting health and human service delivery in rural communities. Detailed information on the coordination of behavioral health and primary care, access to oral health care, and access to human services for the elderly.
  Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
  Date: 04 / 2004
  Format: PDF
  
• Access to Dental Care for Rural Low Income and Minority Populations
  Examines the relationships between rural residence, income, race/ethnicity, and access to dental care, based on data from the 1999 National Health Interview Survey.
  Author(s): Michelle M. Casey, Gestur Davidson, Ira Moscovice, David Born
  Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 09 / 2004
  Format: PDF
  
• Access to Oral Health Services for Low-Income People: Policy Barriers and Opportunities for Intervention for The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
  Highlights the results of a study on policy barriers to oral health care for low-income people.
  Author(s): Shelly Gehshan, Tara Straw
  Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
  Date: 10 / 2002
  Format: PDF
  
• Addressing Oral Health Needs: A How To Guide
  Provides communities and organizations ideas in addressing oral health needs.
  Sponsoring organization: Community Catalyst
  Date: 2002
  Format: PDF
  
• Arkansas Year 2000 Statewide Oral Health Needs Assessment Survey: Findings and Conclusions
  Results of a statewide needs assessment survey on children's oral health in Arkansas.
  Author(s): L.D. Mouden
  Date: 05 / 2000
  Format: PDF
  
• Brushing Up on Children's Oral Health in Louisiana: A Policy Brief
  Documents the barriers children and families must face when trying to access oral health services.
  Date: 2003
  Format: PDF
  
• Care Mobile to Serve Seven East Kentucky Counties
  Discusses a partnership between the University of Kentucky Colleges of Dentistry and Medicine and the Ronald McDonald Charities to bring dental care to underserved children.
  Sponsoring organization: Kentucky State Office of Rural Health
  Journal citation: Kentucky - Rural Health Update Pages: 6
  Date: 08 / 2005
  Format: PDF
  
• Children's Dental Care Access in Medicaid: The Role of Medical Care Use and Dentist Participation
  Reports on children's dental care use in the Alabama and Georgia Medicaid programs and strategies for improving access to dental care.
  Author(s): Karen VanLandeghem, Janet Bronstein, Cindy Brach
  Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
  Date: 06 / 2003
  Format: PDF
  
• Children's Oral Health in Mississippi: Addressing a Silent Epidemic
  Provides background on the most common dental problems children face and current efforts in Mississippi to improve oral health. Includes maps of Mississippi counties indicating the location of pediatric dentists and dentists who accept Medicaid.
  Author(s): L.H. Southward, N.G. Mosca, S.L. Silberman, N.P. Eklund, D.K. Curtis, C. Lane
  Sponsoring organization: Mississippi Health Policy Research Center
  Date: 11 / 2003
  Format: PDF
  
• Children’s Oral Health in Georgia: Progress and Opportunities
  Addresses children's oral health outcomes in Georgia and gives rural and urban data.
  Author(s): Glenn M. Landers, Linda Koskela, Thomas E. Duval
  Sponsoring organization: Georgia Health Policy Center
  Date: 05 / 2007
  Format: PDF
  
• Dental Care: Improving Access and Quality
  Highlights dental care research sponsored by AHRQ.
  Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
  Date: 07 / 2003
  Format: PDF
  
• Dentists (General and Pediatric, 2003)
  Compares rural Alabama dental areas to urban Alabama dental areas, the state as a whole, and the U.S.
  Sponsoring organization: Alabama Rural Health Association
  Date: 07 / 2004
  Format: PDF
  
• Effects of State Dental Practice Laws Allowing Alternative Models of Preventive Oral Health Care Delivery to Low-Income Children
  Examines state dental practice laws and the extent to which they encourage alternative models of delivering preventive oral health care.
  Author(s): Lea Nolan
  Sponsoring organization: George Washington Department of Health Policy
  Date: 01 / 2003
  Format: PDF
  
• Filling the Gaps: Oral Health in America
  2001 oral health report card
  Sponsoring organization: Oral Health America
  Date: 2002
  Format: PDF
  
• Gaps in Prevention and Treatment: Dental Care for Low-Income Children
  Examines variations in the receipt of dental care of children in various states.
  Author(s): Genevieve Kenney
  Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
  Date: 04 / 2000
  Format: PDF
  
• Guide to Children's Dental Care in Medicaid
  Contains information on clinical practice, evolving technologies, and recommendations in dental care.
  Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
  Date: 10 / 2004
  Format: PDF
  
• Improving Oral Health: Promise and Prospects
  Reviews barriers to dental care, opportunities and challenges of public financing sources and safety net programs for dental care for low-income children and families.
  Author(s): Jennifer Ryan
  Sponsoring organization: National Health Policy Forum
  Date: 06 / 2003
  Format: PDF
  
• Improving the Oral Health Status of all Americans: Roles and Responsibilities of Academic Dental Institutions
  Examines the role of academic dental institutions in addressing the oral health needs of all Americans.
  Sponsoring organization: American Dental Education Association
  Date: 03 / 2003
  Format: PDF
  
• National Advisory Committee on Rural Health & Human Services Meeting Minutes, Charleston, West Virginia, September 7-9, 2003
  National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services, part of the Health Resources and Services Administration, Office of Rural Health Policy. Meeting included the following topics: partnerships for health professions education, mental health, oral health, and senior services.
  Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
  Date: 09 / 2003
  Format: HTML
  
• National Call to Action to Promote Oral Health
  Discusses expanding plans, activities, and programs designed to promote oral health and prevent disease, especially those who are vulnerable because of special oral health care needs.
  Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  Date: 05 / 2003
  Format: HTML
  
• Oral Health for All: Policy for Available, Accessible, and Acceptable Care
  Discusses oral needs of the underserved, oral health policy, and oral health services.
  Author(s): Reuben C. Warren
  Date: 09 / 1999
  Format: PDF
  
• Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General
  Alerts Americans to the full meaning of oral health and its importance to general health and well-being.
  Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  Date: 09 / 2000
  Format: HTML
  
• Oral Health in Arkansas
  Provides an overview of the state of oral health in Arkansas.
  Author(s): M.M. Phillips. L.D. Mouden, R. Sledge
  Date: 06 / 2004
  Format: PDF
  
• Oral Health: Dental Disease is a Chronic Problem Among Low-Income Populations
  Analyzes dental health and data from four national health surveys.
  Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
  Date: 04 / 2000
  Format: PDF
  
• Oral Health: Factors Contributing to Low Use of Dental Services by Low-Income Populations
  Discusses the high level of oral diseases affecting vulnerable populations.
  Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
  Date: 09 / 2000
  Format: PDF
  
• Report of the CDC Division of Oral Health
  Discusses the CDC's Oral Health Program.
  Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  Date: 09 / 2003
  Format: PDF
  
• Rural Dental Care: A Long-Term Concern
  Discusses new research of the relationship of oral health and numerous other health problems.
  Sponsoring organization: Alabama Rural Health Association
  Journal citation: Alabama - Rural Remedy Volume: 9 Issue: 3 Pages: 6
  Date: 09 / 2003
  Format: PDF
  
• Rural Healthy People 2010: The State of Rural Oral Health
  Addresses rural health issues associated with the Healthy People 2010 focus area on oral health.
  Author(s): Pete Fos, Linnae Hutchison
  Sponsoring organization: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 2003
  Format: HTML
  
• Rural Healthy People 2010: The State of Rural Oral Health: A Literature Review
  Detailed literature review of rural health issues associated with the Healthy People 2010 focus area on oral health.
  Author(s): Pete Fos, Linnae Hutchison
  Sponsoring organization: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 2003
  Format: HTML
  
• State and Community Models for Improving Access to Dental Care for the Underserved - A White Paper
  Identifies five access-to-care model programs for states as they consider how to strengthen their public programs to improve access to dental care for underserved populations.
  Sponsoring organization: American Dental Association
  Date: 10 / 2004
  Format: PDF
  
• State Efforts to Improve Children's Oral Health
  Discusses what states are doing to improve oral health for children, education programs, access to care, and workforce issues.
  Author(s): Brendan Krause
  Sponsoring organization: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices
  Date: 11 / 2002
  Format: PDF
  
• State of Decay: The Oral Health of Older Americans
  Examines older adults' lack of access to good oral care. Gives a D to the oral health report card for older Americans.
  Sponsoring organization: Oral Health America
  Date: 09 / 2003
  Format: PDF
  
• Surveillance for Dental Caries, Dental Sealants, Tooth Retention, Edentulism, and Enamel Fluorosis --- United States, 1988--1994 and 1999--2002
  Findings indicate that the dental caries status of permanent teeth has improved since the 1988-1994 survey. Despite this improvement, disparities remain for ethnic/racial minorities, low income populations, and those with lower education levels.
  Author(s): Eugenio D. Beltrán-Aguilar, et.al.
  Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  Journal citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) Volume: 54 Issue: SS-3 Pages: 48
  Date: 08 / 2005
  Format: PDF
  

Journals

• Journal of Rural Health
  Offers research of projects to improve rural health, statistics, and mathematical models. Provides summaries of recently published rural health research. Provides links to author, subject and abstract indexes.
  Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
• Oral Health Resource Bulletin
  Periodic publication designed to stimulate thinking and creativity within the maternal and child health community by providing information about selected materials of current interest.
  Sponsoring organization: National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center

Organizations

• Academy of General Dentistry
  Strives to represent the interests of general dentists and improve the quality of comprehensive dental services, health promotion and wellness.
• American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
  Represents the specialty of pediatric dentistry. Advocates policies, guidelines and programs that promote optimal oral health and oral health care for children.
• American Association of Public Health Dentistry
  Promotes effective efforts in disease prevention, health promotion and service delivery and educates the public, health professionals and decision-makers regarding the importance of oral health to total well-being.
• American Dental Association
  Professional association of dentists committed to the public's oral health, ethics, science and professional advancement. Includes state directory of dental organizations.
• Children's Dental Health Project
  Promotes public and clinical policies to improve health and increase access to comprehensive dental care for children and other vulnerable populations. Includes publications, news, resources, and projects.
• Donated Dental Services
  A program in Wisconsin, directed at those people who are unable to afford needed dental care because of a limited income which is clearly linked to a permanent disability, chronic illness or advanced age (65 or over).
• National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center
  Responds to the needs of states and communities in addressing current and emerging public oral health issues. Supports health professionals, program administrators, educators, policymakers, and others with the goal of improving oral health services for infants, children, adolescents, and their families.
• National Rural Recruitment & Retention Network
  Works to help health care professionals, including dentists and dental hygienists, find practice opportunities in rural areas throughout the country. Includes state information and a list of state contacts.
• Oral Health America
  Develops, implements, and facilitates educational and service programs designed to raise awareness of oral health's importance to total health. Includes programs such as Smiles Across America, National Sealant Alliance, National Fluoridation Center, and National Spit Tobacco Education Program.
• Special Care Dentistry
  Promotes the oral health of special needs patients. Comprised of dentists from the American Association of Hospital Dentists, American Society for Geriatric Dentistry who treat geriatric, homebound and cognitively impaired adults, and the Academy of Dentistry for Persons with Disabilities who are dental professionals who treat physically challenged individuals.