Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations

Access to oral health care is essential to promoting and maintaining overall health and well-being, yet only half of the population visits a dentist each year. Poor and minority children are less likely to have access to oral health care than are their nonpoor and nonminority peers. Older adults, people who live in rural areas, and disabled individuals, uniformly confront access barriers, regardless of their financial resources. The consequences of these disparities in access to oral health care can lead to a number of conditions including malnutrition, childhood speech problems, infections, diabetes, heart disease, and premature births.

• ISBN: 978-0-309-20946-5
• Ebook ISBN: 978-0-309-20950-2
• Published Date: 2011
• Page Count:  243 , File Size: 3 Mb