Dental Hygiene ETDs

Publication Date

Fall 11-15-2018

Abstract

Purpose: Dental care accessibility can be an issue for certain populations and can be an issue for people on Medical Assistance. This has been a struggle throughout our country. The purpose of this research was to assess if the children on Medical Assistance in Fillmore County are in need of dental services and if parents of these children are willing to accept an Advanced Dental Therapist provider. Methods: This descriptive research utilized a survey to collect data on access to care for children on Medical Assistance insurance in Fillmore County, Minnesota. Of the total number of children on Medical Assistance, 61.7% were sent a survey and 12.4% of the surveys were returned. The survey researched the parents of children on Medical Assistance from ages one to seventeen. Quantitative research was used with the survey to gather information and determine if there was a lack of dental care in Fillmore County for the specific age group on Medical Assistance. Diagrams, charts and bar graphs are provided to visually interpret the results from the survey. Results: The results suggest that children in Filmore County are in need of dental care. Twenty-four of the fifty people surveyed indicated that they were willing to accept an iv advanced dental therapist as the provider for their child’s dental care, 22 responded maybe, 3 responded No and 1 person skipped this question Conclusion: These results suggest people are willing to or would consider accepting the Advanced Dental Therapist for accessing care to the children on Medical Assistance insurance in Fillmore County.

Degree Name

Dental Hygiene

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

Dental Medicine

First Committee Member (Chair)

Christine Nathe

Second Committee Member

Christina Calleros

Third Committee Member

Lindsey Lee

Language

English

Keywords

Access, Fillmore County, Minnesota, Advanced Dental Therapist, Decay, Children

Document Type

Thesis

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