Dentistry Commons^™

Access To Oral Health For Children On Mainecare In The Lakes Region Towns Of Bridgton, Casco, Sebago, And Naples, Carissa L. Parent

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

Although we know that children covered by Medicaid often do not receive needed dental services, the extent of the problem in Maine is not fully understood. In particular, rural communities in Maine may face challenges for families to access dental services for their children given low reimbursement rates and fewer available providers. This project addresses these gaps in knowledge by examining MaineCare- funded utilization and dental care access for children with MaineCare in four rural Maine towns in the Lakes Region.

The State Of Oral Health On The African Continent, Megan E. Josefczyk

Senior Honors Theses

The African continent has continuously suffered from poverty, poor sanitation, and malnutrition, leaving it an open feeding ground for infectious disease and premature death. Along with poor oral hygiene and an unavailability of dental clinics, oral disease is allowed to thrive and cause great harm. In the last two decades, the World Health Organization and others have tried to implement better systems of oral health care for the African people and have advocated for more well-trained dentists, dental clinics, equipment, and affordable dental care. Progress has been made in some African countries, but the continent is still in serious need …

Lasting Impressions, Fall 2015, College Of Dental Medicine

Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Experiences With The Streptococcus Mutans In Lakota Sioux (Smiles) Study: Risk Factors For Caries In American Indian Children 0-3 Years, David R. Drake, Deborah Dawson, Katherine Kramer, Amy Schumacher, John Warren, Teresa Marshall, Delores Starr, Kathy Phipps

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Severe Early Childhood Caries (S-ECC) is a terribly aggressive and devastating disease that is all too common in lower socio-economic children, but none more so that what is encountered in American Indian Tribes. Nationwide, approximately 27% of 2-5 year olds have decay while 62% percent of American Indian/Alaska Native children in the same age group have a history of decay (IHS 2010, NHANES 1999-2002). We have conducted a study of children from birth to 36 months of age on Pine Reservation to gain a better understanding of the variables that come into play in the development of this disease, from …

Minority College Students’ Attitudes And Beliefs Regarding The Profession Of Dental Hygiene In Comparison To Their Oral Health And Dental Knowledge, Trina J. Morgan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to find out the attitudes and beliefs of minority college students enrolled at Missouri College in Brentwood, Missouri in reference to the dental hygiene profession. In particular, does their oral health and dental knowledge relate to their knowledge of profession of dental hygiene? One hundred and six students gave their consent to participate in the study via Survey Monkey. The study was conducted in May 2015 for a period of four weeks. Four statements were designed to gauge minority students’ knowledge of dental hygiene as a career. No differences were found based on gender, …

Bone Stimulation Implemented Using The L-Prf Technique Within The Clinical Setting In Kentucky And Tennessee, Kyndall A. Hudson

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Leukocyte Platelet Rich Fibrin (L-PRF) is an autologous graft that is obtained from the patient’s blood. This provides a condensed network of fibrin that is saturated with cytokines, growth factors, and platelets. L-PRF speeds up the healing process and also optimizes bone grafting results.

Dental treatment options are expanding and new techniques within the office setting are constantly being developed. Present treatment modalities can assist with the stimulation of tissue formation after dental surgical procedures, leading to various results. The placement of L-PRF provides enhanced healing following specific dental procedures using the patient’s donor tissue; therefore, reducing the opportunity for …

Barriers To Care And Buyer Behavior In Relation To Oral Hygiene, Allison E. Mccutchen

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

How much of an impact do advertising, brand loyalty, and socioeconomic status have on the overall oral-health knowledge and dental care product purchases of consumers? A survey was distributed to collect data on consumers’ background, oral hygiene purchasing habits, and decision making rationales. It was assumed that those with minimal access to care and minimal oral-health knowledge would be purchasing products based on sale prices, or the promise of improved esthetics, whereas consumers with increased access to care would likely make their purchasing decisions based on the recommendations of a dental professional and be potentially more interested in trying new …

The Importance Of Educating Dental And Dental Hygiene Students On The Correlation Between Vitamin D Deficiency And Dental Caries, Sara Brown

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Recent studies from the U.S. National Library of Medicine have shown that vitamin D deficiency is rapidly increasing among the adult population. Vitamin D deficiency has many effects on the body, such as bone pain and muscle weakness. A strong correlation has been noticed in humans with vitamin D deficiency and decreased exposure to natural sunlight, which is vital to absorb the vitamin D they have ingested. Those suffering from milk allergies or are following a strict vegan diet may also have some implication of a vitamin D deficiency. Recent studies (Hujoel, 2012) have also shown that there is a …

Oral Wellness: Using Occupational Therapy To Enhance Oral Hygiene Delivery In Long-Term Care, Lauryn J. Banovitz, Liberty Bellah, Rosemarie Lion

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Based on current literature, oral health in long-term care (LTC) facilities is frequently of low priority and does not follow evidence-based best practices. Poor oral health reduces the quality of life of older adult residents and patients and can lead to systemic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, and pneumonia, the leading cause of death in LTC. Occupational therapists can play an instrumental role as oral care consultants, and educators, and can act as resource guides to raise the standards of oral care in LTC facilities.

This capstone project explored ways in which occupational therapy, a profession traditionally designated for …

A Brief Visit To Chiang Mai: Oral Public Health In Action In Northern Thailand, Arthur Cooper

College of Health Sciences Presentations

Thailand has become well-known in Asia for its innovative public health programs and has also made significant strides towards improving oral health. The Thai approach to providing accessible healthcare for all its citizens could serve as a potential model for other countries throughout Southeast Asia. Based on a 3 week visit to shadow a practicing public health dentist, I was able to gain an insight into how their universal healthcare system functions – both its successes and challenges. Brief interactions with 20 patients who were receiving oral care helped put a face to the system and provided an additional perspective …

Prevalence Of Dental Anxiety And Fear Among Medical Students At University Of Thamar, Ahmed A. Madfa

Ahmed A. Madfa

Background/purpose: Fear from dental treatment is widespread distressing problem for the dentist. Anxiety may have an impact to the dentist-patient relationship and it may cause to misdiagnosis. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the levels of dental anxiety and fear among medical students at University of Thamar.Materials and methods: Dental anxiety scale (DAS) and Dental Fear Survey (DFS) were completed by one hundred undergraduate medical students. Cross-tabulations were applied to determine the levels of DAS and DFS. Pearson’s correlation was used to analyse the association among the dental anxiety measurements. Pearson’s correlation also was used to investigate the association between …

The Impact Of Dentures On The Nutritional Health Of The Elderly, Michelle Gellar, Daniel Alter

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Pediatric Tooth Care And Fluoride Exposure In Maine, Lucas Grover

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Maine is a large and rural state with limited access to fluoridated drinking water and consistent health and dental care. There is little information and guidance for parents regarding the importance of home pediatric dental care, early dentist visits, and home testing for fluoridated drinking water. Parents and primary care providers must engage in a dialog regarding proper tooth care to identify child specific risk factors that can lead to childhood caries and chronic tooth decay if not addressed early and aggressively.

Determining Barriers To Oral Health Care In Bennington County, Taylor Goller Ms-3

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Bennington County has some of the worst oral health outcomes in the state of Vermont. A survey was designed to assess current oral health problems, maintenance habits, and barriers to oral health services access. Results are preliminary.