1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910457806403321

Titolo

Improving access to oral health care for vulnerable and underserved populations / / Committee on Oral Health Access to Services, Board on Children, Youth, and Families, Board on Health Care Services, Institute of Medicine and National Research Council of the National Academies

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Washington, D.C., : National Academies Press, c2011

ISBN

1-280-12314-1

9786613527004

0-309-20947-1

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (350 p.)

Disciplina

617.60086

Soggetti

Dental public health - United States

Dental public health - Economic aspects - United States

Poor children - Dental care - United States

Poor - Dental care - United States

Poor - Dental care - Economic aspects - United States

Health services accessibility - United States

Electronic books.

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references.

Nota di contenuto

Oral health status and utilization -- The oral health care workforce -- Settings of oral health care -- Expenditures and financing for oral health care -- A vision for the delivery of oral health care to vulnerable and underserved populations.

Sommario/riassunto

"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. Improving access to oral health care for vulnerable and underserved populations examines the scope and consequences of inadequate access to oral health services in the United States and recommends ways to combat the economic, structural, geographic, and cultural factors that prevent access to regular, quality care. The report suggests changing funding and reimbursement for dental care; expanding the oral health work force by training doctors, nurses, and other nondental professionals to recognize risk for oral diseases; and revamping regulatory, educational, and administrative practices. It also recommends changes to incorporate oral health care into overall health care. These recommendations support the creation of a diverse workforce that is competent, compensated, and authorized to serve vulnerable and underserved populations across the life cycle. The recommendations provided in Improving access to oral health care for vulnerable and underserved populations will help direct the efforts of federal, state, and local government agencies; policy makers; health professionals in all fields; private and public health organizations; licensing and accreditation bodies; educational institutions; health care researchers; and philanthropic and advocacy organizations."--Publisher's description.