Oral health

Research Products & Journal Articles

Browse the full list of research publications on this topic completed by the Rural Health Research Centers.

Products – Freely accessible products include policy briefs, fact sheets, full reports, chartbooks, and interactive data websites.

Journal Articles – Articles in peer-reviewed journals may require a subscription or affiliation with a subscribing library. For these publications, Gateway lists the article citation, a brief summary, a link to additional information and access to the full-text of the article, if available.

2024

Trends in the Health Workforce Supply in the Rural U.S.
Report
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 10/2024
This report examines the availability of current and historical workforce data for a variety of health care professionals and provides estimates of the trends in the supply and distribution in the rural vs. urban U.S. workforce.

2017

Chartbook: Trends in Rural Children's Oral Health and Access to Care
Chartbook
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 08/2017
Assessing progress at improving children's oral health requires examining trends to see whether rural disparities, if present, are being reduced. Our report uses data from the National Survey of Children's Health (2003, 2007, and 2011- 2012) to assess progress in access to oral health care, and perceived status of teeth among rural children.
Improving Rural Oral Health: Six States' Response to the United States Department of Health and Human Services Oral Health Strategic Framework
Policy Brief
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 08/2017
The U.S. Public Health Service Oral Health Coordinating Committee published the Oral Health Strategic Framework 2014-2017. The framework includes 5 goals for advancing oral health in America. We explore how 6 states have responded to the Strategic Framework; specifically, how they address oral health inter-professional practice, and access to care.

2015

Dentist Supply, Dental Care Utilization, and Oral Health Among Rural and Urban U.S. Residents
Report
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 05/2015
Residents of non-metropolitan counties were less likely than those in metropolitan counties to report having dental visits or teeth cleanings in the last year and more likely to report undergoing tooth extractions. These findings persisted even when controlling for demographic factors, income, insurance, and health/smoking status.

2014

The 2014 Update of the Rural-Urban Chartbook
Chartbook
North Dakota and NORC Rural Health Reform Policy Research Center
Date: 10/2014
This chartbook includes trends and disparities in urban/rural health. Reports on population characteristics include age, race and ethnicity, and poverty; risk factors such as smoking, alcohol use, and obesity; mortality data; health status measures such as adolescent births and total tooth loss; healthcare access/use; and mental health measures.

2013

Dental Sealant Utilization Among Rural and Urban Children
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 03/2013
This report examines the proportion of rural children who have received dental sealants applied to the surface of their teeth to prevent or delay the development of dental decay.
Rural Border Health Chartbook
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 01/2013
The chartbook examines potential geographic and ethnic disparities among U.S. border residents and describes select indicators related to access to care, women's preventive services, oral health, infectious and communicable diseases, and mental health that have been identified as disparities.

2012

State Policy Levers for Addressing Preventive Dental Care Disparities for Rural Children: Medicaid Reimbursement to Non-Dental Clinicians for Fluoride Varnish and Dental Hygiene Supervision in Primary Care Safety Net Settings (Full Report)
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 03/2012
This report addresses preventive dental care disparities for rural children by studying access to fluoride varnish applications and the extent that dental hygienists can provide select preventive dental services in primary care safety net settings.
State Policy Levers for Addressing Preventive Dental Care Disparities for Rural Children: Medicaid Reimbursement to Non-Dental Clinicians for Fluoride Varnish and Dental Hygiene Supervision in Primary Care Safety Net Settings (Key Facts)
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 03/2012
This report provides keys facts regarding preventive dental care disparities for rural children.

2011

Water Fluoridation and Dental Health Indicators in Rural and Urban Areas of the United States (Final Report)
West Virginia Rural Health Research Center
Date: 11/2011
This study investigated the availability of fluoridated water across urban-rural settings and relates measures of fluoride availability to national survey measures of dental health in adults and children.

2010

Use of Emergency Departments for Conditions Related to Poor Oral Health Care
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Date: 08/2010
Persistent and worsening shortages of oral healthcare providers in rural areas, combined with limited acceptance of Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, have left many patients without adequate access to dental care.

2009

The Crisis in Rural Dentistry
Policy Brief
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 04/2009
Reports from the surgeon general and the Institute of Medicine call for more dentists in rural locations. Federal and state programs have focused on expanding the rural dentist supply, but efforts may need to intensify to meet the needs of rural communities.

2008

Chartbook: Dental Health and Access to Care Among Rural Children: A National and State Portrait (Full Report)
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 03/2008
This chartbook examines dental health status, use of preventive services, and dental insurance among rural and urban children. It provides information specific to rural children, and in particular rural minority children, not available in similar detail from other sources.

2006

Rural Dental Practice: A Tale of Four States (Full Report)
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 03/2006
This paper reports the findings of a study investigating rural dentist issues, such as demography, training, practice characteristics, staff, and job satisfaction, in Alabama, California, Maine, and Missouri.
Rural Dental Practice: A Tale of Four States (Project Summary)
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 03/2006
This project summary provides an overview of survey results of rural dentists in Alabama, California, Maine, and Missouri. It provides charts and statistics on dentist demographics, dental hygienist and dental assistant vacancy rates, and dentist participation in Medicaid.
The Effect of Rural Residence On Dental Unmet Need for Children With Special Health Care Needs
Journal Article
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 2006
Unmet need for dental care is the most prevalent unmet healthcare need among children with special healthcare needs (CSHCN). The combination of rural residence and special healthcare needs may leave rural CSHCN particularly vulnerable to high levels of unmet dental needs.

2005

Dentist Vacancies in Federally Funded Health Centers
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 12/2005
This project summary presents results for dentists from a study of staffing needs at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). It provides information on dentist vacancy rates by rural and urban location and compares dentist vacancies to other healthcare provider vacancies at FQHCs.

2004

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.