- Emily Soelberg
- Dentistry, Institute for Healthcare Access, Research, Show on VR homepage
New research reveals what drives poor oral health outcomes in rural America
White paper led by Texas A&M dentist reveals the biggest barriers to dental care in rural America and offers strategies to improve access and outcomes
Liang Hong, DDS, PhD, recently published research findings that identify factors contributing to poor dental health in rural America and recommends strategies to address these issues. (Texas A&M College of Dentistry)
Oral health is fundamental to overall well-being and quality of life. But for nearly 60 million Americans living in rural areas, accessing dental care isn’t always easy. Limited access to preventive and basic dental care, financial constraints, lower dental insurance coverage and a shortage of dental professionals leave many without the care they need—putting them at greater risk for serious health issues like cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
To tackle this critical gap in health care, Liang Hong, DDS, PhD, professor at Texas A&M University College of Dentistry, faculty fellow at the Texas A&M Health Institute for Healthcare Access and member of the Council of Scientific Information at the America Association of Public Health Dentistry (AAPHD), studied the root causes of poor oral health in rural America in the recently published white paper, “Challenges and Strategies to Improve Access to Oral Health Care in Rural America.”
In the paper, Hong and his co-investigators explore factors such as lower dental insurance coverage, aging populations, and a lack of access to fluoridated water. The team identified 10 key challenges across three categories (emergent, recent and persistent) that are strong predictors of poor oral health outcomes.
The team emphasizes that oral care is too often treated as separate from health care. They call for nationwide reforms to close this critical care gap, which contributes to a growing health crisis.
Presented in the white paper are evidence-based strategies and models to make dental care more accessible and affordable for rural Americans, including:
- Expanding Medicaid for dental coverage
- Integrating medical and dental care
- Leveraging teledentistry and mobile dental services
- Growing the rural oral health workforce, including dental hygienists, dental therapists, community dental health coordinators and foreign-trained dentists
- Addressing opioid and tobacco use
- Supporting water fluoridation
Read the white paper to learn more about the team’s research and how they propose addressing this concerning gap in health care.
Media contact: media@tamu.edu
