Oral Health Disparities and Community Health
Oral Health Disparities and Community Health
Research projects in this area are focused on decreasing parental risk-related behaviors for early childhood caries and dentist’s attitudes towards the expanding role of non-dentists. Additional research in behavioral sciences measures patient’s perception of effects of dental intervention, which will allow effects from all oral interventions to become comparable, aiding dentists and patients in their evaluation of treatment. The school maintains a network of outreach clinics that serve patients in rural and underserved communities; increased collaborations are forming between SOD faculty and the School of Public Health. Opportunities for increased research in this area are due to collaborations with HealthPartners of Minnesota and the recently awarded National Dental Practice Based Research Network, and the addition of the Dental Therapy program with a focus on underserved populations.