Western Kentucky University

Serving the Underserved

Institution

Western Kentucky University

Abstract

In order to determine the status of the availability of dental care to citizens of Kentucky and beyond and determine barriers to meeting the needs, a review of several data sets was initiated. Based on this review of data it was determined for example that approximately 1.7 million adults in Kentucky lack access to dental care. More than 100 million Americans don't go to the dentist because they can't afford it. Because of the severity of Americans' need for more access to oral health care, both locally and nationally, several potential solutions will be presented to alleviate some of the perceived barriers, such as volunteer events that could be held in order to provide dental care to anyone who is willing to come, mobile dental units and University facilities could provide free or reduced cost care to individuals and Public Health Registered Dental Hygienists and Advanced Dental Hygiene Practitioners could perform services without a dentist's supervision, thus providing services in remote or underserved areas.

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Serving the Underserved

In order to determine the status of the availability of dental care to citizens of Kentucky and beyond and determine barriers to meeting the needs, a review of several data sets was initiated. Based on this review of data it was determined for example that approximately 1.7 million adults in Kentucky lack access to dental care. More than 100 million Americans don't go to the dentist because they can't afford it. Because of the severity of Americans' need for more access to oral health care, both locally and nationally, several potential solutions will be presented to alleviate some of the perceived barriers, such as volunteer events that could be held in order to provide dental care to anyone who is willing to come, mobile dental units and University facilities could provide free or reduced cost care to individuals and Public Health Registered Dental Hygienists and Advanced Dental Hygiene Practitioners could perform services without a dentist's supervision, thus providing services in remote or underserved areas.