An Analysis of Oral Health Disparities and Access to Services in the Appalachian Region

July 2012
Denise D. Krause, Ph.D.; Warren L. May, Ph.D.; Nancy M. Lane, MA; Jeralynn S, Cossman, Ph.D.; Thomas R. Konrad, Ph.D.

This study analyzes disparities in oral health status and access to oral health care in the Appalachian Region, and examines relationships between oral health disparities and socioeconomic status indicators. The report compares counties and states in the Appalachian Region and the United States on three measures of oral health: a preventive measure (fluoridation of water supplies), an access measure (dental visits in the past year), and an outcome measure (tooth loss). The purpose of the report is to increase understanding of oral health disparities and their contributing factors, and to aid efforts to develop targeted interventions to reduce these disparities in Appalachia.

Full Report in PDF (6.8 MB)