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An Analysis Of The Economic Barriers To Oral Healthcare Access In Omaha, Nebraska, Elias Witte

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Existing research regarding the analysis of the distribution of oral healthcare practitioners has been conducted across large metropolitan areas within the United States in order to determine the magnitude of healthcare resource deficits. Such research has demonstrated significant deficits in access to oral healthcare predominantly in lower-income urban areas. Consequently, patients in these socioeconomically disadvantaged areas have less access to routine oral care, which impacts their overall health and well-being. While there is an abundance of studies examining this issue in other localities across the country, there is a lack of information regarding the distribution of oral healthcare practitioners in …

Successful Strategies For Increased Dental Practice Competitiveness, William Eyster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The rapid expansion of dental service organizations (DSOs) continues to disrupt the traditional dental practice model and there was a 12.2% increase in DSOs between 2015 and 2016. Some solo and small group dental practice owners lack strategies to adapt their businesses to be successful in newly competitive markets including DSOs. Grounded in systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative multicase study was to explore strategies dental practice owners use to adapt their businesses to be successful in newly competitive markets. The participants included 3 solo and 2 small group dental practice owners in central Kentucky who demonstrated success in …

Perception Of Patient Cooperation Among Dentist, Guardian, And Child, Cole A. Staines Dds

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Evaluate behavior assessment and agreement among dentist, guardian, and child. Evaluate child behavior by appointment type.

Methods: Patients recruited from the pediatric dental department at Virginia Commonwealth University for this convenience sample. Inclusion criteria: patients presenting for clinical exams and/or restorative treatment without the use of advanced behavior guidance between August 29, 2018, and March 7, 2019; ages 4-12-years-old; and scheduled with a single clinician. Appointments were stratified by difficulty. Behavior was assessed by dentist and caregiver using the Frankl Scale. Patient self-assessed cooperation using an age-appropriate modified Frankl Scale, developed for this study. Agreement assessed among the 3 …

Oral Health Care: An Autoethnography Reflecting On Dentistry's Collective Neglect And Changes In Professional Education Resulting In The Dental Hygienist Being The Prevention-Focused Primary Oral Health Care Provider, Maureen Patricia Mcweeney Harrington

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Many factors influence poor oral health among disadvantaged populations including socioeconomic circumstances, knowledge of disease prevention strategies and ability to implement those strategies, public policies, insurance status, insurance policies, dental providers and other challenges to accessing dental care. Often these issues converge and result in early disadvantages to achieving good oral health (Horton & Barker, 2010). Addressing even some of the factors that contribute to poor oral health may provide ways to change the dental health status of historically underserved populations. The purpose of this research is to explore my role as a practitioner and researcher in the creation of …

Total Salivary Protein Concentration And Its Correlation To Dental Caries, Emyli Peralta

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Introduction: According to the World Health Organization, dental cavities are the number one chronic disease in children. Saliva coats the teeth all day and can serve many functions to maintain and protect teeth. Saliva has many proteins that can be both detrimental and essential to the preservation of tooth enamel. The purpose of this study is to determine if a correlation exists between the total protein concentration in saliva and the prevalence of cavities in the mouth. We hypothesized that there would be a positive correlation with total salivary protein concentration and the prevalence of cavities in the participant. Methods: …