A review of strategies to increase access to oral health services

<strong>Background:</strong> Leading Health Indicators (LHIs), a subset of objectives for Healthy People 2020, were selected to communicate at-risk health issues and actions that can be taken to address them. Nationally, the number of children, adolescents, and adults who visited the den...

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Main Authors: Breyanna Davis, Sara Plaspohl
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Georgia Southern University 2017-04-01
Series:Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association
Subjects:
Online Access:https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/jgpha/vol6/iss3/8
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author Breyanna Davis
Sara Plaspohl
author_facet Breyanna Davis
Sara Plaspohl
author_sort Breyanna Davis
collection DOAJ
description <strong>Background:</strong> Leading Health Indicators (LHIs), a subset of objectives for Healthy People 2020, were selected to communicate at-risk health issues and actions that can be taken to address them. Nationally, the number of children, adolescents, and adults who visited the dentist in the past year has decreased, suggesting that oral health continues to be a problem caused by barriers preventing access to oral health services. This review aimed to identify strategies to increase access to oral health services that will be useful in moving toward the LHI objectives. <strong> Methods:</strong> Preliminary research was conducted on the LHI via the Healthy People 2020 website. Health-related, peer-reviewed articles were selected and evaluated to determine current strategies used to increase access to oral health services that would lead to achievement of the LHI objectives. <strong> Results:</strong> Evidenced-based literature shows that economic, educational, and personal barriers prevent access to oral health services. Through health promotion and educational interventions, however, good oral health can be established. Such improvements will lead to attaining the LHI objectives in moving towards the target goals of Healthy People 2020. <strong>Conclusions:</strong> Since primary prevention and early intervention procedures lead to improved oral health, such methods can be useful in reaching the LHI objectives and the target goal of Healthy People 2020.
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spelling doaj.art-694d8d5eec5741e9becb64a1e944fce32022-12-21T19:01:59ZengGeorgia Southern UniversityJournal of the Georgia Public Health Association2471-97732017-04-016310.21633/jgpha.6.308A review of strategies to increase access to oral health servicesBreyanna DavisSara Plaspohl<strong>Background:</strong> Leading Health Indicators (LHIs), a subset of objectives for Healthy People 2020, were selected to communicate at-risk health issues and actions that can be taken to address them. Nationally, the number of children, adolescents, and adults who visited the dentist in the past year has decreased, suggesting that oral health continues to be a problem caused by barriers preventing access to oral health services. This review aimed to identify strategies to increase access to oral health services that will be useful in moving toward the LHI objectives. <strong> Methods:</strong> Preliminary research was conducted on the LHI via the Healthy People 2020 website. Health-related, peer-reviewed articles were selected and evaluated to determine current strategies used to increase access to oral health services that would lead to achievement of the LHI objectives. <strong> Results:</strong> Evidenced-based literature shows that economic, educational, and personal barriers prevent access to oral health services. Through health promotion and educational interventions, however, good oral health can be established. Such improvements will lead to attaining the LHI objectives in moving towards the target goals of Healthy People 2020. <strong>Conclusions:</strong> Since primary prevention and early intervention procedures lead to improved oral health, such methods can be useful in reaching the LHI objectives and the target goal of Healthy People 2020.https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/jgpha/vol6/iss3/8oral healthserviceshealth promotionpreventioneducationdiseasedental care
spellingShingle Breyanna Davis
Sara Plaspohl
A review of strategies to increase access to oral health services
Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association
oral health
services
health promotion
prevention
education
disease
dental care
title A review of strategies to increase access to oral health services
title_full A review of strategies to increase access to oral health services
title_fullStr A review of strategies to increase access to oral health services
title_full_unstemmed A review of strategies to increase access to oral health services
title_short A review of strategies to increase access to oral health services
title_sort review of strategies to increase access to oral health services
topic oral health
services
health promotion
prevention
education
disease
dental care
url https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/jgpha/vol6/iss3/8
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