Maryland Center for Health Equity, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, 4200 Valley Drive, College Park, MD, USA.
Department of Health Services Administration, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, 4200 Valley Drive, College Park, MD, USA.
BMC Public Health. 2018 Jul 13;18(1):878. doi: 10.1186/s12889-018-5792-z.
Mission of Mercy (MOM) emergency dental clinics are a resource for populations lacking access to dental care. We designed a MOM event incorporating health equity components with established community partners who shared a common vision of addressing the oral health, physical health, and social service needs of Maryland and Washington, DC area residents. Although studies have explored associations between oral and chronic health conditions, few studies to our knowledge have examined the relationship between these conditions and receipt of dental services. Therefore, this study explored these associations and the opportunity for better care coordination.
Oral health data from the 2014 Mid-Maryland Mission of Mercy and Health Equity Festival event was analyzed. A descriptive analysis assessed frequencies and percentages of participant sociodemographics characteristics, oral health and chronic disease risk(s), and dental services delivered. Chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression were conducted to determine the associations between 1) oral health and chronic disease risk(s) and dental services; and 2) oral health and chronic disease risk(s) and participant characteristics.
Approximately 66.2% (n = 666) of the 1007 participants had one or more chronic conditions and/or risk factors (diabetes, high blood pressure, and tobacco use). These individuals had a significantly higher likelihood of receiving an oral surgery procedure (specifically, tooth extraction) (only one condition/risk: OR = 2.40, 95%, CI = 1.48-3.90, p < .001; two conditions/risks: OR = 3.12, 95% CI = 1.78-5.46, p < .001).
The 2014 Mid-Maryland Mission of Mercy emergency dental clinic attracted people with risk factors for oral and chronic diseases. Those with one or more risk factors were more likely to receive oral surgery (specifically, tooth extraction). These findings strongly suggest that organizers of MOM emergency dental clinics include wrap-around primary care, health promotion and disease prevention services along with provision of dental services. While such events will not solve the general and oral health challenges of participants, we believe they provide an opportunity to provide basic preventive services. These findings also present an opportunity to inform planning for future MOMs and emphasize the importance of using these public health events to create linkages with other services to support follow-up and care coordination.
慈善使命（MOM）急诊牙科诊所是为缺乏牙科护理资源的人群提供服务的机构。我们与建立了合作伙伴关系的社区合作，设计了一项 MOM 活动，该活动纳入了健康公平的内容，这些合作伙伴拥有共同的愿景，旨在满足马里兰州和华盛顿特区地区居民的口腔健康、身体健康和社会服务需求。尽管有研究探讨了口腔和慢性健康状况之间的关联，但据我们所知，很少有研究检查这些状况与获得牙科服务之间的关系。因此，本研究探讨了这些关联以及改善护理协调的机会。
分析了 2014 年中马里兰慈善使命和健康公平节活动的口腔健康数据。描述性分析评估了参与者社会人口统计学特征、口腔健康和慢性疾病风险以及提供的牙科服务的频率和百分比。进行卡方检验和多变量逻辑回归，以确定 1）口腔健康和慢性疾病风险与牙科服务之间的关联；以及 2）口腔健康和慢性疾病风险与参与者特征之间的关联。
大约 66.2%（n=666）的 1007 名参与者患有一种或多种慢性疾病和/或风险因素（糖尿病、高血压和吸烟）。这些人接受口腔手术（特别是拔牙）的可能性显著更高（仅有一种情况/风险：OR=2.40，95%置信区间=1.48-3.90，p<0.001；两种情况/风险：OR=3.12，95%置信区间=1.78-5.46，p<0.001）。
2014 年中马里兰慈善使命急诊牙科诊所吸引了患有口腔和慢性疾病风险因素的人。有一个或多个风险因素的人更有可能接受口腔手术（特别是拔牙）。这些发现强烈表明，MOM 急诊牙科诊所的组织者应将初级保健、健康促进和疾病预防服务纳入其中，同时提供牙科服务。虽然这些活动不能解决参与者的一般和口腔健康挑战，但我们相信它们提供了提供基本预防服务的机会。这些发现还为未来 MOM 的规划提供了机会，并强调了利用这些公共卫生活动与其他服务建立联系以支持后续护理和协调的重要性。
