Oral Health Disparities & Inequities Research Program

Oral, dental, and craniofacial conditions remain among the most common health problems for low-income, racial/ethnic minority, disadvantaged, disabled, immunocompromised and institutionalized individuals across the life span. Dental caries, periodontal disease, and oral and pharyngeal cancer are of particular concern.

The Oral Health Disparities & Inequities Research Program supports studies that:

• provide a better understanding of the basis of oral health disparities and inequities;
• develop and test interventions tailored or targeted to underserved populations;
• seek to understand a broadened array of determinants of disparities and inequities in oral health status and care at multiple levels;
• explore approaches to the dissemination of evidence and implementation of evidence-based tools and interventions, to assure rapid translation into practice, policy, and action in communities; and
• take a holistic, social-ecological, multi-level interventional approach designed to have a meaningful impact on oral health status and quality of life of vulnerable and underserved populations.

Such studies require multi- and inter-disciplinary teams, multiple levels of analysis and intervention, and strong community-based partnerships.