The Surgeon General (2000) concluded that a silent epidemic of dental diseases is affecting poor children, poor older Americans, and racial and ethnic minorities. The Healthy People 2010 oral health objectives include increasing the proportion of children and adults who use the oral health care system each year, and increasing the proportion of low-income children and adolescents who received any preventive dental service during the past year. The purpose of this project is to describe the characteristics of rural populations that have the greatest problems with access to dental care (using national data sets such as BRFSS and MEPS) and to identify strategies for improving access to dental care in rural areas.

Publications

• Access to Dental Care for Rural Low Income and Minority Populations
  University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 09/2004
  Using data from the 1999 National Health Interview Survey, this study examines the relationships between rural residence, income, race/ethnicity, and access to dental care.