Bridging the Gap in Oral Health Care Services
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Oral health is closely tied to overall health, scholastic or job performance, and overall quality of life. For many rural residents of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, access to dental care is a significant challenge. Barriers include a limited availability of nearby providers and affordable dental care, particularly because many residents lack insurance or are underinsured.
The percentage of children living in poverty on the Eastern Shore is 15.2 percent, compared to the statewide average of 11.8 percent. In some counties, such as Dorchester, nearly 90 percent of students receive free and reduced meals. Poverty can lead to challenges in academic, cognitive, and health outcomes for children. In Maryland’s rural Shore communities, as many as 25 percent to 30 percent of children do not receive regular dental or oral health care.
The long-term implications for the overall health and well-being of our rural neighbors are staggering. Studies suggest dental decay correlates to a 26 percent increased risk of all-cause mortality and a 48 percent increased risk of heart disease mortality. Moreover, issues of chronic dental pain can dramatically impact quality of life and create potential financial consequences through loss of work.
To meet today’s formidable challenges, the University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD) shares a strategic vision that will bridge the gap in access to timely care and achieve greater health equity for the Shore’s underserved communities.
UMSOD has identified several critical funding needs to meet this ambitious goal, including establishing a dental clinic with eight dental chairs led by two UMSOD attending faculty members who ideally would be practicing dentists on the Eastern Shore, as well as two residents. Under faculty supervision, UMSOD fourth-year dental students (about 100 per year) would be required to rotate through the clinic for two weeks at a time. This would give students the opportunity to practice in a community health clinic and provide care to underserved patients, offering a unique educational outreach experience.
A total of $3 million in capital investment is needed to cover the clinic’s buildout, equipment, and supplies.
Additionally, UMSOD is seeking full scholarship funding for students who commit to serving on the Eastern Shore after graduation, as well as transportation for dental students back and forth from Baltimore, compensation for faculty, and leasing of clinic space.
Your generous support will help to build oral health equity and access to critical dental care services in underserved areas of the Eastern Shore.