Reducing barriers for migratory agricultural workers to receive oral health care services.

Between one and two million migratory agricultural workers leave their homes each year to plant, cultivate, harvest and pack fruits, vegetables and nuts in the United States. While in the United States, most lack dental insurance and have no regular dentist. The primary purpose of this study was to describe issues associated with barriers to access and receiving oral health care from the perspective of migratory agricultural workers rather than the perspective of providers. Views and experiences regarding their use of oral health care services were collected from focus groups. Information from focus groups was used to design a questionnaire. Among the 157 respondents the most significant barriers hampering access to oral health care services were crop demands, travel distance, and transportation. Cost and the lack of an interpreter were ranked as the top two barriers to receiving oral health care. The most convenient times for respondents to visit a dentist were between 1 and 6 p.m. The most convenient day was Monday, followed by Sunday and Saturday.

Creating a regional dental center serving six rural county health districts.

People with Medicaid or no dental insurance have a difficult time accessing dentists in private practice. The problem of access is more profound in rural than urban areas. Safety net dental clinics operated by small rural local health districts are difficult to start up, operate, and maintain. The number of these facilities in the United States is small and not evenly distributed to meet needs. This article describes how a full-service dental clinic was established to serve six rural county health districts in Northwest Ohio. Retired volunteer dentists were instrumental in the success of creating the clinic, starting with a field-type operation in 2001 serving 316 persons and building into a full-time regional dental center that served 1,306 individuals in 2007.