Oral Health

Background

The past two and one-half decades have witnessed significant improvements in the oral health status of West Virginians. However, oral diseases are still among our most prevalent health problems. Untreated dental caries can result in permanent tooth loss. Data from the 1994 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey revealed that 21% of West Virginia's adult population had lost all of their teeth, while another 10% had lost most of their teeth. A 1988 study of West Virginia schoolchildren showed that state children were much more likely to have lost permanent teeth by ages 11 and 15 than children nationwide.

The Public Health Dentistry Project, through the Office of Maternal and Child Health, WV Bureau for Public Health, has been designated as the lead entity in addressing the oral health objectives. Objectives 13.1 and 13.2 are concerned with the problems of untreated dental caries in children and adult tooth loss, respectively. Because the eventual loss of all permanent teeth seems to be inevitable in the minds of so many West Virginians, Objective 13.3, dealing with dental health knowledge, was also deemed essential. An extensive needs assessment scheduled to be completed by Fall 1997 will provide needed baseline or comparison data for the objectives.

The Objectives

OBJECTIVE 13.1 Decrease the proportion of children aged 7 and 15 with untreated dental caries in primary or permanent teeth to 36% and 27%, respectively.

UPDATE State-specific baseline data collected in 1988 reflected a prevalence of untreated dental caries of 52% in children aged 7 and 48% in children aged 15. Comparative national data showed a prevalence of untreated dental caries of 27% among children aged 6-8 in 1986 and 23% among adolescents aged 15 in 1986-87. The needs assessment will provide updated data. As dental health has recently become part of the "mandatory" health unit teaching curricula in West Virginia schools, improvement in the proportion of children with untreated dental caries is expected.

OBJECTIVE 13.2 Increase to at least 45% the proportion of people aged 35-44 who have lost no more than two permanent teeth due to dental caries or periodontal disease.

UPDATE Baseline data specifically addressing this objective are not yet available but are scheduled to be collected in 1997. However, some information on the dental health of West Virginia residents aged 18 and older is available from the 1994 BRFSS survey. According to these data, 30.9% of respondents overall reported having lost most or all of their teeth. Twenty-nine percent (28.9%) of men and 32.6% of women reported that they had 10 or fewer of their teeth remaining. Among respondents aged 35-44, a total of 14.4% had lost all or most of their teeth, 13.1% of men and 15.6% of women.

In the same survey, nearly one in four (23.3%) respondents reported that they had not visited a dentist for a routine exam or teeth cleaning in 6 or more years. Twenty-four percent (24.1%) of men and 22.6% of women had not been to a dentist in at least 6 years. A total of 16.2% had a cavity or other oral health problem that needed attention but were not scheduled to see a dentist at the time of their interview, 17.0% of men and 15.5% of women. A lack of money was the most frequently reported reason that an appointment had not been scheduled, followed by a lack of time.

OBJECTIVE 13.3 Achieve a proportion of 85% of schoolchildren and adults, particularly health care workers in all settings, who have accurate knowledge of the methods to prevent and control oral diseases.

UPDATE No state-specific baseline data currently exist for this objective, and there is no correlated national objective. The 1997 needs assessment to be conducted by the Public Health Dentistry Project will provide baseline data.

Meeting the Objectives

The Public Health Dentistry Project is addressing the objectives through the health promotion channels to the community listed above, using various strategies:

• Community and school fluoridation programs
• Fluoride tablet and drop supplements
• School fluoride rinses
• Oral hygiene programs (e.g., the Brush-in)
• Pit and fissure dental sealants
• Clinic and private office care

Oral Health - Meeting the Objectives

Lead Entity:
The Public Health Dentistry Project

Plan Coordinator:
Kay Medley, Project Coordinator
The Public Health Dentistry Project
Office of Maternal and Child Health
WV Bureau for Public Health
(304) 558-1117/FAX (304) 558-2183

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