An Analysis of Oral Health 

Disparities and Access to Services in 

the Appalachian Region

Prepared for:

Appalachian Regional Commission 

1666 Connecticut Avenue NW 

Suite 700 

Washington, DC 20009‐1068 

December 2011 

Contract #CO-16034-2008

Contract #CO-16835-2010

This report is the result of combined efforts of research teams from the University of Mississippi Medical Center, 

Mississippi State University, PDA, Inc. and The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services at the University of North 

Carolina that was edited and compiled by PDA, Inc. with assistance and input from ARC and providers in the 

Appalachian Region.

Authors:

Denise D. Krause, Ph.D. and Warren L. May, Ph.D. School of Dentistry, The University of Mississippi 

Medical Center, Nancy M. Lane, MA, PDA, Inc., Jeralynn S, Cossman, Ph.D., Mississippi State University , 

Department of Sociology, Thomas R. (Bob) Konrad, Ph.D., The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services at 

the University of North Carolina.

Contributors:

Randy Randolph, M.R.P., The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services at the University of North Carolina, 

Ann Christine Fitch, M.P.H., PDA, Inc., Amy Gwin, B.S. University of Mississippi, Jamie Boydstun, M.S. 

Mississippi State University, and Thomas C. Ricketts, III, PhD, The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health 

Services at the University of North Carolina, Andrew Lutz, PDA, Inc. 

Editor: 

Nancy M. Lane, PDA, Inc., Raleigh, North Carolina

_______________________________________________________________________________ 

Authors can be reached at: University of Mississippi http://www.umc.edu, Mississippi State University 

http://www.nemsahec.msstate.edu, The Cecil G. Sheps Center of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 

North Carolina www.shepscenter.unc.edu , PDA, Inc., Raleigh, North Carolina www.pdaconsultants.com

APPALACHIAN

REGIONAL

COMMISSION
PDA, Inc., Cecil. G. Sheps Center/UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Mississippi State University

ii ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010
PDA, Inc., Cecil. G. Sheps Center/UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Mississippi State University

ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010 iii

AN ANALYSIS OF ORAL HEALTH DISPARITIES AND ACCESS TO

SERVICES IN THE APPALACHIAN REGION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The principal authors of the first version of this report and the related research study, who also designed and 

analyzed the BRFSS data and state health officials surveys include: Dr. Denise D. Krause, Ph.D./Principal 

Investigator, and Dr. Warren L. May, Ph.D./Biostatistician from the University of Mississippi Medical Center, 

and Dr. Jeralynn S. Cossman, Ph.D. from Mississippi State University, under contract CO-16034-2008 to the 

Appalachian Regional Commission.

The University of Mississippi wishes to thank Amy Gwin, B.S. who painstakingly built the geographic 

information system (GIS) platform and created certain maps and Jamie Boydstun, M.S. for her help with doing 

preliminary research into the literature, guiding the process of interviewing public health stakeholders in the 

Appalachian Region, and analyzing the data from those interviews.

The final report was expanded, compiled, and edited and by PDA, Inc., Raleigh, North Carolina in collaboration 

with The Cecil G. Sheps Center at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill under contract CO-16835-2010 

to the Appalachian Regional Commission. The principal editor/ authors include: Ms. Nancy M. Lane, M.A., 

President of PDA, Inc. who compiled/edited the final report and researched policy recommendations; and Cecil 

G. Sheps Center at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill professionals: Dr. Thomas C. Ricketts, Ph.D., 

Principal Investigator, Dr. Thomas R. (Bob) Konrad, Ph.D. who researched the manpower issues and related

policy recommendations, and Randy Randolph, M.R.P., who handled the tedious task of validating, extracting, 

standardizing and re-mapping Area Resource File, BRFSS and other data into geo-coded chloroplethic scales. 

Ann Christine Fitch, M.P.H., PDA, Inc. assisted with editing, data validation and technical format. Andrew Y. 

Lutz, B.S. at PDA, Inc. assisted with data collection and document preparation.

We want to thank Paulette Pack, PDA Administrative Assistant; Robert (Trey) Adams, III, B.S., PDA 

Consultant; Kimberly Baker, B.S., and Dilan C. Luvis, B.A., B.S., who contributed countless hours of careful 

auditing and editing; Wright State University Professor and community health physician, Richard A. Henderson 

III, M.D., M.P.H., who guided parts of the discussion on water fluoridation; and Lyle B. Snider, Ph.D., formerly 

of Prestonsburg, Kentucky, who provided summaries from ARC’s 2011 Annual Conference, Healthy Families, 

Healthy Future; and McKenzie Smith, Director of the American Dental Hygienist Association, who provided 

scope of practice information for dental hygienists. Eric Stockton, ARC Health Program Manager, provided 

access to materials presented at the 2011 ARC conference. In addition, this report has been reviewed by David 

Carrier, Ph.D., Project Coordinator of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC).

APPALACHIAN REGIONAL COMMISSION

The research and report were by the Appalachian Regional Commission in order to analyze disparities in oral 

health status and access to oral health care in the Appalachian Region. Contracts were awarded to PDA, Inc. and 

The University of Mississippi. Subcontracts were awarded to Mississippi State University for collaboration with 

UMMC, and to The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research for collaboration with PDA, Inc. 

Our many thanks extend to ARC Project Manager, David Carrier, Ph.D., for his persistent and thoughtful 

reviews and comments throughout the process.
PDA, Inc., Cecil. G. Sheps Center/UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Mississippi State University

iv ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER

Denise D. Krause Ph.D, M.S., M.A. Dr. Krause received her Ph.D. in Preventive Medicine, with an 

emphasis in Epidemiology from the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She is an Associate Professor 

who conducts population research, focusing on health disparities, access to care and services, and healthrelated quality of life. As principal investigator, Dr. Krause has conducted grants studying such topics as 

access to care and associations to health-related quality of life in persons living with HIV/AIDS in 

Mississippi, distribution of the oral health workforce, oral health policy issues, and examining oral health 

disparities in Appalachia. She has valuable experience in research data management, enterprise data 

warehousing, electronic health records, biomedical informatics, working with extensive population datasets, 

such as the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), and using geographic information systems 

(GIS) to conduct epidemiological research. 

Warren L. May, Ph.D. Dr. May received his Ph.D. in Biometry from the Louisiana State University 

Medical School with a minor in Epidemiology based on a joint program with Tulane University. He is a 

Professor of Biostatistics at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. His past research has included 

statistical methodology as well as consultation for projects in clinical medicine, public health and basic 

science research. He has many years of experience working with software applications packages such as SAS, 

SPSS, SUDAAN, R, STATA that brings valuable expertise to the current project. 

Amy K. Gwin, B.S. Amy Gwin has a B.S. degree in geography with a minor in geology and a GIS certificate 

from Old Dominion University in Norfollk, Virginia. Amy has several years experience working as a GIS 

engineer and geospatial analyst.

MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY

Jeralynn S. Cossman, Ph.D. Dr. Cossman has research and teaching interests in medical sociology, 

demography, and health services research. In addition to her position as Professor and Head in the 

Department of Sociology, she also works with the Social Science Research Center’s (SSRC) Mississippi 

Health Policy Research Center (SSRC), examining issues related to health assessment, prevention, and social 

epidemiology, and is also afilliated with the Mississippi Center for Health Workforce.

Jamie Boydstun, M.S. Jamie Boydstun has a Master’s degree in Sociology and is currently pursuing her 

Ph.D. in Sociology from Mississippi State University. She is also a Graduate Research Assistant at the 

Northeast Mississippi Area Health Education Center at Mississippi State’s Social Science Research Center.
PDA, Inc., Cecil. G. Sheps Center/UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Mississippi State University

ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010 v

PDA, INC. 

Nancy M. Lane, MA. Ms. Lane serves as the President of PDA, Inc., and has led health care program 

development efforts for more than 30 years. With nine years’ experience with the Appalachian Regional 

Commission, she has developed skills in regional health care system design and policy development. Ms. 

Lane helped to develop the Rural Health Clinics Act, PL 95-210. She has completed health care delivery 

system research for the Veterans Health Administration and private health care providers.

A. Christine Fitch, M.P.H. Ms. Fitch received her Master of Public Health, with a concentration in Health 

Policy and Management, from Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at 

Chapel Hill. Her focus has been on strategic, financial, human resources, technological and business planning 

for healthcare institutions. She has both domestic and international leadership and project management 

experience.

Andrew Lutz, BS. Mr. Lutz received his Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of North 

Carolina at Chapel Hill. He conducts health industry, market and company-specific research, processes 

documentation and works with space programming and policy review. 

Kimberly Baker, BS. Ms. Baker received her Bachelor of Science in Business and Marketing from Western 

Carolina in Cullowhee, North Carolina. She has provided assistance with market analysis, preparing maps 

describing target populations, and quality control and checks. 

THE CECIL G. SHEPS CENTER FOR HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROINA -CHAPEL HILL

Thomas C. Ricketts, Ph.D. Dr. Thomas Ricketts is a Professor of Health Policy and Administration and 

Social Medicine, and the Director of the Health Policy Analysis Unit in the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health 

Services Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The focus of his research has been on 

policy making for the health care workforce and access to care for rural and underserved populations. He was 

the founding director of the North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center.

Thomas R. (Bob) Konrad, Ph.D. Dr. Konrad is a Senior Fellow at the North Carolina Institute on Aging 

and served as Co-Director of the Program for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina at 

Chapel Hill, as well as Programs on Health Professions and Primary Care (PHP&PC) with Donald Pathman at 

the Cecil G. Sheps Center. He has held academic appointments as Professor of Social Medicine (School of 

Medicine), Professor of Health Policy and Administration (School of Public Health), and Research Professor 

in the Division of Pharmaceutical Policy and Evaluative Sciences (School of Pharmacy). Dr. Konrad is 

familiar with a variety of health professions databases and data collection strategies, measurements and 

modeling issues. 

Randy Randolph, MRP. Mr. Randolph is an Applications Analyst Programmer for the Cecil G. Sheps 

Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As a programmer, he 

has been an essential team member on various database projects involving the development of metrics and 

geo-coded data sets and mapping. 
PDA, Inc., Cecil. G. Sheps Center/UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Mississippi State University

ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010 vi

GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS

ACS AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY

ADA AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION 

ADHA AMERICAN DENTAL HYGIENISTS ASSOCIATION 

AMA AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

ANCOVA ANALYSIS OF COVARIANCE

ANOVA ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE

ARC APPALACHIAN REGIONAL COMMISSION

ARF AREA RESOURCE FILE

ASTDD ASSOCIATION OF STATE AND TERRITORIAL DENTAL DIRECTORS

BHP BUREAU OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

BLS BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS 

BRFSS BEHAVIORAL RISK FACTOR SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM

CDC CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION

CHIP CHILD HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM

CHWS CENTER FOR HEALTH WORKFORCE STUDIES

CMS CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES

CPS CURRENT POPULATION SURVEY

CQI CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT

CWS COMMUNITY WATER SYSTEM

DHHS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

DHPPI DENTAL HYGIENE PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE INDEX

DPH DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH 

EPA ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

EPSDT EARLY AND PERIODIC SCREENING, DIAGNOSTIC AND TREATMENT SERVICE

FY FISCAL YEAR

GAO GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE

HRSA HEALTH RESOURCE AND SERVICE ADMINISTRATION 

JPHC JAPAN PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER

KCHIP KENTUCKY CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM

KFF HENRY J. KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION

MCHB MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH BUREAU

MMWP MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY WEEKLY REPORT
PDA, Inc., Cecil. G. Sheps Center/UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Mississippi State University

ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010 vii

MSA METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS

NCHS NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTH STATISTICS

NHANES NATIONAL HEALTH AND NUTRITION EXAMINATION SURVEY

NHIS NATIONAL HEALTH INTERVIEW SURVEYS

NIDCR NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DENTAL AND CRANIOFACIAL RESEARCH

NIH NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

NIOH NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

NORC NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR RESEARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO

OES OCCUPATIONAL EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS

RHRC RURAL HEALTH RESEARCH CENTER

SAHIE SMALL AREA HEALTH INSURANCE ESTIMATES 

SAS STATISTICAL ANALYSIS SYSTEM

SCHIP STATE’S CHILDREN’S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM 

SES SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS 

UNC UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL

USDA UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

VHA VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION 

WWAMI WASHINGTON, WYOMING, ALASKA, MONTANA AND IDAHO
An Analysis of Oral Health Disparities and Access to Services in the Appalachian Region

PDA, Inc., Cecil. G. Sheps Center/UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Mississippi State University

viii ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010

TABLE OF CONTENTS

GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS .................................................................................................................................................. VI

LIST OF FIGURES XI

LIST OF TABLES XIII

AN ANALYSIS OF ORAL HEALTH DISPARITIES AND ACCESS TO SERVICES IN THE APPALACHIAN REGION.....................XV

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY................................................................................................................................................XV

ORAL HEALTH FUNDAMENTALS ..........................................................................................................................................XV

ORAL HEALTH INDICATORS ...............................................................................................................................................XVI

ORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE.............................................................................................................................................XVII

STATE ORAL HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE...................................................................................................................... XVIII

BEST PRACTICES IN STATE ORAL HEALTH POLICIES.................................................................................................................XIX

POLICY ISSUES XX

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 1

1.1. ORAL HEALTH AND THIS REPORT .............................................................................................................................. 1

1.2 THE APPALACHIAN REGION AND THE ARC .................................................................................................................. 1

1.3 ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORT................................................................................................................................ 3

CHAPTER 2 ORAL HEALTH INDICATORS......................................................................................................................... 5

2.1 FINDINGS ............................................................................................................................................................. 5

2.1.1 Selection of Indicators.............................................................................................................................. 5

2.1.2 Fluoridation of Water Supplies................................................................................................................. 5

2.1.3 Dental Visits ...........................................................................................................................................11

2.1.4 Tooth Removal .......................................................................................................................................19

2.2 METHODOLOGY...................................................................................................................................................24

2.2.1 Note on Data..........................................................................................................................................24

2.2.2 Fluoridation of Water Supplies...............................................................................................................25

2.2.3 Dental Visits and Tooth Removal ...........................................................................................................26

2.3 SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION ..................................................................................................................................29

2.3.1 Oral Health Indicators and Appalachia ..................................................................................................29

2.3.2 Oral Health Indicators and Socioeconomic Status .................................................................................30

2.3.3 Oral Health of Children in Appalachia....................................................................................................32

2.3.4 Implications............................................................................................................................................33

CHAPTER 3 ORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE...................................................................................................................... 35

3.1 FINDINGS ...........................................................................................................................................................35

3.1.1 Workforce Characteristics and Supply Trends........................................................................................35

3.1.2 Dentists ..................................................................................................................................................35

3.1.3 Dental Hygienists ...................................................................................................................................39

3.2 METHODOLOGY...................................................................................................................................................44

3.2.1 Data Sources..........................................................................................................................................44

3.2.2 Data Analysis..........................................................................................................................................44

3.2.3 Mapping.................................................................................................................................................44
PDA, Inc., Cecil. G. Sheps Center/UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Mississippi State University

ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010 ix

3.3 DISCUSSION........................................................................................................................................................45

3.3.1 The Oral Health Workforce and Appalachia ..........................................................................................45

3.3.2 Practice Conditions for Dental Hygienists..............................................................................................46

3.3.3 Implications............................................................................................................................................46

CHAPTER 4 ORAL HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE...................................................................................................... 47

4.1 FINDINGS ...........................................................................................................................................................47

4.2 METHODOLOGY...................................................................................................................................................49

4.2.1 Data Sources..........................................................................................................................................49

4.2.2 Data Analysis..........................................................................................................................................49

4.3 DISCUSSION........................................................................................................................................................49

CHAPTER 5 BEST PRACTICES IN ORAL HEALTH POLICIES.............................................................................................. 51

5.1 FINDINGS ...........................................................................................................................................................51

5.1.1 Policy Level Best Practices......................................................................................................................51

5.1.2 Appalachian Initiatives...........................................................................................................................52

5.1.3 National Initiatives................................................................................................................................. 57

5.2 METHODOLOGY...................................................................................................................................................59

5.2.1 Data Sources..........................................................................................................................................59

5.3 DISCUSSION........................................................................................................................................................60

CHAPTER 6 SUMMARY FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS..................................................................................... 61

6.1 CONCLUSIONS AND FINDINGS..................................................................................................................................61

6.2 IMPLICATIONS......................................................................................................................................................61

6.3 RECOMMENDATIONS.............................................................................................................................................62

6.4 AREAS FOR FURTHER STUDY....................................................................................................................................63

CHAPTER 7 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................................. 65
An Analysis of Oral Health Disparities and Access to Services in the Appalachian Region

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x ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010

APPENDICES................................................................................................................................................................ 73

APPENDIX A: METROPOLITAN AND NON-METROPOLITAN AREAS IN APPALACHIA...................................................................75

APPENDIX B: PERMITTED FUNCTIONS AND SUPERVISION LEVELS BY STATE REGISTERED DENTAL HYGIENISTS ...............................77

APPENDIX C: STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND ORAL HEALTH INDICATORS............................................79

Data and Methods............................................................................................................................................79

Methods............................................................................................................................................................80

Results...............................................................................................................................................................82

Sub-State Analyses............................................................................................................................................85

Summary.........................................................................................................................................................104

APPENDIX D: DENTAL VISITS IN THE PAST YEAR, BY SELECTED CHARACTERISTICS: UNITED STATES, SELECTED YEARS 1997-2009....105

APPENDIX E: DHPPI BY STATE...................................................................................................................................107

APPENDIX F: BEST PRACTICES IN STATE ORAL HEALTH POLICIES .......................................................................................109

Background.....................................................................................................................................................109

Methodology...................................................................................................................................................109

Results.............................................................................................................................................................111

Summary.........................................................................................................................................................120

APPENDIX G: DENTAL WORKFORCE TRENDS IN APPALACHIA ............................................................................................127
PDA, Inc., Cecil. G. Sheps Center/UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Mississippi State University

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LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE 1 – STATE PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIAL EVALUATION OF DENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVES ....................................................................XIX

FIGURE 2 – COUNTY ECONOMIC STATUS IN APPALACHIA, FY 2012 .................................................................................................... 2

FIGURE 3 - COUNTY FLUORIDATED PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY IN THE U.S., 2006...................................................................................... 8

FIGURE 4 – COUNTY FLUORIDATED PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY IN APPALACHIA, 2006 ................................................................................ 9

FIGURE 5 – PERCENT OF ADULTS WHO HAD A DENTAL VISIT WITHIN THE PREVIOUS YEAR IN THE U.S., 2006..........................................13

FIGURE 6 – PERCENT OF CHILDREN USING PREVENTIVE DENTAL CARE, 2007 .....................................................................................15

FIGURE 7 –DENTAL VISITS WITHIN THE PREVIOUS YEAR, METROPOLITAN AND MICROPOLITAN AREAS IN THE U.S., 2006...........................17

FIGURE 8 – SENIORS AGE 65 OR OLDER WITH ALL TEETH REMOVED IN THE U.S., 2006 .......................................................................19

FIGURE 9 – SENIORS AGE 65 OR OLDER WITH ALL TEETH REMOVED, METROPOLITAN AND MICROPOLITAN AREAS IN THE U.S., 2006..........20

FIGURE 10 – STATUS OF CHILDREN’S PREVENTIVE DENTAL CARE IN APPALACHIA, 2007 .......................................................................21

FIGURE 11 – REPORTED TOOTH LOSS BY AGE AND METRO VERSUS NON-METRO GEOGRAPHY 1999-2006............................................24

FIGURE 12 – ARC DESIGNATED DISTRESSED COUNTIES, FY 2012 ....................................................................................................31

FIGURE 13 – COUNTY DENTISTS PER 100,000 PERSONS IN THE U.S., 2007 ......................................................................................36

FIGURE 14 – COUNTY DENTISTS PER 100,000 PERSONS IN APPALACHIA, 2007 .................................................................................37

FIGURE 15 – DENTAL HYGIENISTS PER 1,000 POPULATION BY BLS REGION IN THE U.S., MAY 2010 .....................................................40

FIGURE 16 - ADHA RATING OF HYGIENISTS’ AUTONOMY BY STATE, 2007 ........................................................................................43

FIGURE 17 – ORAL HEALTH INITIATIVES AREAS BY FREQUENCY OF MENTION IN APPALACHIAN STATES, 2009...........................................53

FIGURE 18 – DURATION OF APPALACHIAN STATE ORAL HEALTH PROGRAMS ......................................................................................53

FIGURE 19 – EFFECTIVENESS OF STATE PROGRAMS IN APPALACHIA...................................................................................................54

FIGURE 20 – REACH OF APPALACHIAN STATE ORAL HEALTH PROGRAMS............................................................................................54

FIGURE 21 - PEW CHILDREN’S DENTAL HEALTH REPORT CARD 2010 ................................................................................................58

FIGURE 22 - METROPOLITAN AND NON-METROPOLITAN AREAS, APPALACHIAN REGION.......................................................................75

FIGURE 23- DENTAL HYGIENE PRACTICE ACT OVERVIEW.................................................................................................................77

FIGURE 24 - DENTAL HYGIENE PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE INDEX BY STATE .........................................................................................107

FIGURE 25 – PROGRAMS AND POLICIES BY THEME.......................................................................................................................111

FIGURE 26 – SURVEY INSTRUMENT ...........................................................................................................................................124
An Analysis of Oral Health Disparities and Access to Services in the Appalachian Region

PDA, Inc., Cecil. G. Sheps Center/UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Mississippi State University

xii ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010
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ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010 xiii

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE 1 – APPALACHIAN STATES PERCENT OF POPULATION ON COMMUNITY WATER SUPPLIES WITH FLUORIDATED WATER ......................... 6

TABLE 2 – USE OF SELF-SUPPLIED WATER IN APPALACHIAN STATES, 2005 ........................................................................................10

TABLE 3 – PERCENT OF PERSONS WHO REPORTED A DENTAL VISIT IN THE PAST YEAR, BY AGE GROUPS, UNITED STATES, SELECTED YEARS 

1997–2009 ................................................................................................................................................................. 14

TABLE 4 – PERCENT OF CHILDREN WITH PREVENTIVE DENTAL CARE IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS IN APPALACHIAN STATES, 2007 ....................14

TABLE 5 – PERCENT OF PERSONS WHO REPORTED A DENTAL VISIT IN THE PAST YEAR,

BY AGE GROUP, METRO AND NON-METRO AREAS IN THE UNITED STATES, 1997-2009 ...........................................................15

TABLE 6 - ADULT ANNUAL DENTAL VISITS 1997-2007, BY LOCATION...............................................................................................18

TABLE 7 - ORAL HEALTH STATUS IN APPALACHIAN STATES 1999 -2006............................................................................................23

TABLE 8 - SAMPLE SIZES FOR ORAL HEALTH INDICATORS: NUMBER OF APPALACHIAN RESPONDENTS BY YEAR (N=543,204).......................26

TABLE 9 - ASSESSMENT OF COUNTIES IN APPALACHIAN STATES REPRESENTED IN BRFSS DATA ..............................................................27

TABLE 10 – SAMPLE SIZES FOR ORAL HEALTH BEHAVIOR INDICATORS, BRFSS, 1999-2006................................................................. 79

TABLE 11 - PREVALENCE ESTIMATES FOR ORAL HEALTH/BEHAVIOR INDICATORS, APPALACHIAN STATES ..................................................82

TABLE 12 - PREVALENCE OF DENTAL VISIT WITHIN THE PAST YEAR, APPALACHIAN STATES.....................................................................83

TABLE 13 - PREVALENCE OF ANY TEETH REMOVED (AGES 35-44), APPALACHIAN STATES.....................................................................84

TABLE 14 - PREVALENCE OF SIX OR MORE TEETH REMOVED (AGES 35-44), APPALACHIAN STATES ........................................................84

TABLE 15 - PREVALENCE OF MAJOR TOOTH REMOVAL (65+), APPALACHIAN STATES ...........................................................................85

TABLE 16 - ASSESSMENT OF APPALACHIAN COUNTIES AND INDEPENDENT CITIES REPRESENTED IN BRFSS DATA .......................................86

TABLE 17 - COMPARING MEANS, METRO VERSUS NON-METRO AREAS, APPALACHIAN STATES..............................................................88

TABLE 18 - COMPARING MEANS, APPALACHIA VERSUS NON-APPALACHIA, APPALACHIAN STATES ..........................................................89

TABLE 19 - COMPARING MEANS, APPALACHIAN VERSUS NON-APPALACHIAN METRO AREAS, APPALACHIAN STATES ................................. 90

TABLE 20 - COMPARING MEANS, APPALACHIAN VERSUS NON-APPALACHIAN NON-METRO AREAS, APPALACHIAN STATES .........................91

TABLE 21 - COMPARING MEANS, APPALACHIAN VERSUS NON-APPALACHIAN IN METRO AREAS, ALL STATES............................................92

TABLE 22 - COMPARING MEANS, APPALACHIAN VERSUS NON-APPALACHIAN IN NON-METRO AREAS, ALL STATES....................................93

TABLE 23 - DENTAL VISIT IN THE PAST YEAR BY REGION, STATE, AND METROPOLITAN STATUS...............................................................95

TABLE 24 - ADULTS AGES 35-44 WITH ANY TEETH REMOVED BY REGION, STATE, AND METROPOLITAN STATUS .......................................96

TABLE 25 - ADULTS AGES 35-44 WITH SIX OR MORE TEETH REMOVED BY APPALACHIAN REGION, STATE, AND METROPOLITAN STATUS.......97

TABLE 26 - ADULTS AGES 65 OR OLDER WITH ALL TEETH REMOVED BY REGION, STATE, AND METROPOLITAN STATUS...............................98

TABLE 27 - BIVARIATE CORRELATIONS OF DENTAL OUTCOMES WITH SOCIOECONOMIC INDICATORS ........................................................99

TABLE 28 - STEPWISE REGRESSION, DENTAL VISIT IN PAST YEAR ....................................................................................................100

TABLE 29 - STEPWISE REGRESSION, ANY TEETH REMOVED, ADULTS AGED 35-44 .............................................................................101

TABLE 30 - STEPWISE REGRESSION, MAJOR TOOTH REMOVAL, ADULTS AGED 35-44 ........................................................................102

TABLE 31 - STEPWISE REGRESSION, MAJOR TOOTH REMOVAL, ADULTS AGED 65 OR OLDER ...............................................................103

TABLE 32 - INTERVIEW RESPONSE RATES ...................................................................................................................................110
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xiv ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010

TABLE 33 – RESULTS: “HOW LONG HAS THIS PRACTICE BEEN IN PLACE?” .......................................................................................112

TABLE 34 – RESULTS: “HOW EFFECTIVE WOULD YOU SAY THIS PROGRAM / POLICY IS? .....................................................................112

TABLE 35 – RESULTS: HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD YOU SAY BENEFIT BY THIS PROGRAM/POLICY? .....................................................112

TABLE 36 – ACCESS TO CARE: FREQUENCY AND PERCENTAGE ........................................................................................................113

TABLE 37 – PREVENTIVE SERVICES: FREQUENCY AND PERCENTAGE ................................................................................................. 114

TABLE 38 – ORAL HEALTH EDUCATION: FREQUENCY AND PERCENTAGE ...........................................................................................115

TABLE 39 –DENTAL WORKFORCE: FREQUENCY AND PERCENTAGE ..................................................................................................116

TABLE 40 – ADULT SERVICES: FREQUENCY AND PERCENTAGE ........................................................................................................117

TABLE 41 – MEDICAID INITIATIVES: FREQUENCY AND PERCENTAGE................................................................................................. 118

TABLE 42 – WATER FLUORIDATION: FREQUENCY AND PERCENTAGE................................................................................................119

TABLE 43 – TOBACCO INITIATIVES: FREQUENCY AND PERCENTAGE..................................................................................................120

TABLE 44 – DENTAL WORKFORCE TRENDS IN APPALACHIAN COUNTIES (SORTED BY GROWTH RATE) ....................................................127
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AN ANALYSIS OF ORAL HEALTH DISPARITIES AND ACCESS 

TO SERVICES IN THE APPALACHIAN REGION

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

ORAL HEALTH FUNDAMENTALS

Good oral health is the result of positive forces in a complex range of issues –from environmental, sociocultural and behavioral factors to education and health service access. Though integral to personal well-being, 

oral health receives less attention and less funding than general physical health. Even measurement of 

national oral health status is limited to interview questions on the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 

(BRFSS), a continuous random sample telephone interview survey conducted annually by the Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and other single purpose phone surveys conducted by the National 

Institutes of Health and the United States Department of Health and Human Services (US DHHS). There is no 

national database on oral health status. Medicare has limited billing information from hospital visits for dental 

emergencies. Preventive intervention data is similarly limited. About 60 percent of states voluntarily report to 

CDC the number of counties that fluoridate public water supplies. Dental care is not covered by most public 

and private health insurance plans. With the exception of government employee plans and children’s 

Medicaid programs, dental insurance coverage requires a separate policy. Only basic children’s dental 

services are mandatory for Medicaid. Adult care is optional for state Medicaid programs. Dental care, other 

than hospital emergency care, is not covered by Medicare or TriCare, the basic military insurance. The 

Veterans Health Administration (VHA) provides dental care only to a select group of qualified veterans.

There is no comprehensive national reporting system for dental insurance coverage. Even the vast Kaiser 

Family Foundation (KFF) state level database has little information on dental care. The National Health 

Interview Survey (NHIS) is conducted through the CDC surveys for dental health insurance coverage, with 

sample sizes designed for accuracy at the national and four sub-national levels. 

Across the United States, shortages of dental professionals are common. Scope of dental practice is limited by 

state dental licensure boards, which are only gradually expanding the scope of oral health services permitted 

for delivery by non-dentists. As this happens, the oral health workforce expands and more services become 

available to more people, generally at lower costs. Statistics on oral health workforce are maintained by the 

American Dental Association, the American Dental Hygienists Association, and self-reported professional 

status is collected by the U.S. Census in the American Community Survey. Wage and employment data for 

dental hygienists are sampled, reported and forecast by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) through its 

National Employment Matrix. Data on state licensure are available only directly from the states, or in a 

summary report initially developed by the US DHHS, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) 

through private contractors. Notably, most public data for oral health in states and regions are four to six years 

behind the current year.

Information in this report is drawn from literature reviews, and public data sources. Anecdotal information on 

good practices was provided by presenters at the ARC’s 2011 Annual Conference, Healthy Families, Healthy 

Future. On contract from ARC (Contract #CO-16034-2008), staff from University of Mississippi Medical 

Center collected primary information on state oral health initiatives; Appendices A through G of this report 

include much of the reported information. 
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This report covers:

• State variation in oral health indicators in 2005 and 2007, using CDC and aggregate BRFSS 

information over a seven- to eleven-year period.

• County variations in oral health workforce, specifically dentists and hygienists.

• State variations in scope of oral health practice for non-dental providers. 

• State variations in Medicaid coverage of dental services and dentist participation in Medicaid.

• Information from state health offices on efforts to increase oral health coverage.

• Recommendations from national reports, specifically the 2011 Institute of Medicine report 

regarding oral health of disadvantaged populations, and the Pew Charitable Foundation report on 

children’s oral health. 

ORAL HEALTH INDICATORS

The report compares counties and states in the Appalachian Region and the United States on three measures 

of oral health: a preventive measure, fluoridation of water supplies; an access measure, dental visits in the past 

year; and an outcome measure, tooth loss. Data sets for each measure have gaps. For example, in the sampled 

year, two Appalachian states did not report public water fluoridation at the county level. Some data gaps were 

filled with statistical models; others were compensated with data from an adjacent time frame.

Within the sample of states reporting data, Appalachia compares well to the United States on fluoridation of 

community water supplies. About 60 percent of states voluntarily report to the CDC the counties that 

fluoridate public water supplies, and these are made public. In the year used for this report, neither Ohio nor 

Maryland reported. Ohio, one of the missing states, has an active local option fluoridation program and 

reported 90 percent of communities served by public water, of which 92 percent participated in fluoridation 

programs in 2011 (Ohio Department of Health 2011). Maryland reported 93 percent of its public water 

supplies fluoridated (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research 2011). Among 11 Appalachian 

states reporting to CDC, fluoridation levels ranged from a high 99 percent to a low 20 percent of public water 

supplies. 

The measure of dental service use, a visit in the last year, does not reflect the nature of the service or the 

severity of the reason for the visit. Aggregated BRFSS survey data showed two-thirds of Appalachians 

interviewed reported seeing a dentist; half reported disease related tooth loss; and almost one quarter reported 

losing six or more teeth to disease or decay. 

Data on Appalachian tooth loss as a result of decay were synthetically derived by University of Mississippi 

researchers using seven years of BRFSS surveys, separating metropolitan and non-metropolitan data and 

regrouping them into Appalachian and non-Appalachian areas (Appendix C). Inferences from these data must 

be drawn with caution, because the data cover an eight-year time span from 1999 to 2006. In summary, the 

model showed: 

• Appalachian areas generally reported more decay-related tooth loss.

• A few Appalachian metropolitan areas reported better oral health than their non-metropolitan 

counterparts in Appalachia.

• Nationwide, metropolitan areas reported slightly better oral health than non-metropolitan areas, but 

differences faded when data were controlled for socioeconomic status. 
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• On average 26.5 percent of Appalachian seniors (over 65) reported having had all of their teeth 

removed. (Appendix C). By comparison, the 2006 national average on the BRFSS was 19.3 

percent. 

• Among Appalachian adults aged 34 to 65, 12.9 percent reported six or more teeth removed as a 

result of preventable causes, compared to 10.9 percent reported by residents of non-Appalachian 

areas. 

When these synthetic estimates were tested against location and socioeconomic status, the University of 

Mississippi research team found no difference between the Appalachian Region and the nation. High 

socioeconomic status and metropolitan location were highly correlated with good oral health status 

(Appendix C). 

State-level analyses of the BRFSS surveys are more reliable than analyses of the synthetic carve-outs for the 

Appalachian Region. On the state level: 

• Fewer teeth were reported lost to disease or decay by people in Northern (Maryland, New York, 

Ohio and Pennsylvania) than in Southern (Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina) 

Appalachian states. Tennessee residents reported less tooth loss than other southern states.

• Maryland, Northern Appalachian states and Virginia reported the best oral health status in 2005. 

• Mississippi and Southern Appalachian states reported the worst oral health status (Appendix C). 

ORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE

Available workforce data show that, compared to the United States, an Appalachian location is associated 

with fewer dental providers.

• In 2007, there were 36 percent more persons per dentist in Appalachia than in the United States

(2,103 versus 1,546, respectively).

• Dentists are more plentiful in certain metropolitan areas.

• Dental workforce concentrations vary significantly within the Appalachian Region. 

• Private dentist participation in Medicaid is a challenge, and not all states report data. In 2005, 

among the 11 reporting Appalachian states, dentist participation in Medicaid ranged from a low of 

no dentists in the state participating to a high of 44 percent participating (Association of State and 

Territorial Dental Directors 2008). 

Medicaid dental patients are challenging to serve. In most states, Medicaid payment for dental care is low, 

and Medicaid beneficiaries are more prone to cancel or be late for appointments.

Properly trained dental hygienists can fill access voids associated with shortages of dentists. However, state 

licensure boards determine the extent to which these non-dentists may provide oral health services. An 

economic study, released in July 2011 (Kleiner and Park. 2008), details the status of state licensure in 2008. 

Prior to that study, the most recently published national study of state licensure status was prepared for the 

United States DHHS, HRSA by researchers at the University at Albany. According to those studies, 

Appalachian states have been generally more restrictive with regard to expanded practice for dental 

hygienists. See Appendix E. 
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Dentists’ fear of potential lost income plays a major role in limiting expansion of non-dentist labor force 

capabilities. Most dental practices are small and involve substantial personal capital investment on the part of 

individual proprietors. With few people covered by generous dental insurance, dentists fear loss of paying 

customers when workforce capacity increases.

Trends in these studies are complemented by promising pilots that were reported by representatives from 

several Appalachian states.

• West Virginia and Kentucky are notable for recent progress. Kentucky expanded practice in 2006, 

and West Virginia began in 2010 (McKee. 2011) (Muto. 2011). 

• Pilot projects started in Appalachian North Carolina have demonstrated that pediatricians can 

successfully provide topical dental fluoride and dental sealants to large numbers of children.1

• South Carolina is a leader in expanded practice for Dental Hygienists. 

The Appalachian Region would benefit from a high level policy initiative involving the insurance industry, 

dentists, and public health officials in setting goals for minimum dental care for all residents. The American 

Dental Association (ADA) is working to increase dentist participation in Medicaid (ADA. 2011). 

STATE ORAL HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE 

Little is written about total dental insurance in the United States. Most studies focus on children. Medicaid, 

state children’s health insurance programs (SCHIP), and private dental insurance are the primary sources of 

insurance coverage for dental care. The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program includes generous dental 

coverage. However, few non-governmental employers offer dental insurance. Publically available, consistent 

data for all of these are limited to the NHIS national data and state summaries, which are reported by the KFF. 

Data are difficult to assemble, because insurance eligibility can change from month to month, depending on a 

person’s income status and employment status. 

BRFSS no longer includes questions about dental insurance, so national oral health insurance data will, at 

best, be restricted to special studies and state level summaries. Coverage increased as income increased. Data 

from the NHIS, for January to June 2011, indicated that 82.6 percent of persons under 65 had health insurance 

(Martinez and Cohen. 2011). They note that 40.1 percent of children were covered by public plans, compared 

to only 15.7 percent of adults. 

This emphasizes the critical role played by Medicaid in dental insurance of children. Martinez and Cohen also 

note that the near poor are more likely than the poor to lack any health insurance coverage. A survey of 1,000 

people, conducted by Brighter.com in June 2010, showed that a third of those without dental insurance have 

been to a dentist once or less in the last decade2

. 

 

1 Communicated to Thomas R. Konrad, UNC. 2 Linked In news 12 entrepreneurs reinventing health care, online, Jan 5, 2011, 12 reporting from CNN Money
Executive Summary

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BEST PRACTICES IN STATE ORAL HEALTH POLICIES

Public oral health programs focus primarily on public water supply fluoridation, topical fluoride applications 

for children, and incentives for providers working in or caring for underserved populations. States struggle to 

sustain programs that provide dental care for adults. In a telephone interview survey, 31 Appalachian policy 

makers representing all 13 states reported highest levels of satisfaction with community health interventions: 

fluoridation, tobacco cessation initiatives and education. At least half reported all of the programs tried were

“very effective,” though the direct care and workforce subsidies were rated “extremely” or “very effective” 

less often than the community-wide programs (Figure 1). Costs of sustaining direct intervention programs, 

compared to the number of people reached, were major reasons for rating programs low on effectiveness. 

FIGURE 1 – STATE PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIAL EVALUATION OF DENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVES 

Source: 2009 Survey of Appalachian Oral Health policy makers, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 

Appendix F.

Though not reported in the surveys, individual states like Kentucky and West Virginia are working in 

conjunction with state dental schools to improve children’s oral health, focusing on schools, family awareness 

and cooperation with private dentists. These anecdotes were shared at the ARC 2011 Healthy Families, 

Healthy Future Conference 

The Pew Charitable Foundation’s Oral Health Project is rating states on their attention to children’s oral 

health. Appalachian states, as a whole, are average; however, South Carolina, Maryland and West Virginia 

have achieved top national scores.

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Medicaid Intiiatives

Dental Workforce

Access to care

Adult Services

Preventive Services

Oral Health Education

Water Fluoridation

Tobacco Initiatives

Percent of Responses that Rated Programs

Extremely or Very Effective 
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POLICY ISSUES

Appalachian states have launched creative oral health disease prevention initiatives at the community level: 

fluoridation and education; and at the personal level: expanded practice, school services and sealants for children 

under six, and incentives to work in underserved areas. Workforce and scope of practice limitations are 

determined at the state level. 

Throughout the Appalachian Region, and elsewhere, poverty is consistently associated with lower oral health 

indicators. Because the challenges are large, ARC-facilitated sharing forums are very helpful for providing more 

current information across state lines on both successful and unsuccessful initiatives.

In order to see trends in oral health in the Appalachian Region over time, policy makers need consistent data 

that can be geographically associated with Appalachia and its sub-regions. The optional nature of dental 

health questions, the small sample frame and the telephone source of information all inhibit use of BRFSS or 

NHIS data for this purpose. Making them useful would require oversampling in a sample frame specific to the

Appalachian Region. This would produce reliable year to year measures of the impact of state initiatives.

Unfortunately, BRFSS is a state-federal initiative that permits each state to select and adjust the questions 

asked on the survey. States fund the survey efforts in proportion to the size of their sample and scope of 

questions. 
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CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

1.1. ORAL HEALTH AND THIS REPORT

Although oral health care is integral to overall health, it is not typically awarded the same priority as basic 

medical care (Allukian. 2008). Access to care and ability to obtain and keep dental insurance are some of the 

leading economic causes of oral health disparities in the United States (CDC. 2009). Socioeconomic 

characteristics and cultural values also contribute to oral health disparities, particularly in regions like 

Appalachia (Behringer, et al. 2007). 

There are many practices in place to help reduce oral health disparities, such as community water fluoridation, 

application of dental sealants, smoking cessation programs, disease prevention efforts and increased 

awareness of the importance of proper oral hygiene, like brushing and flossing. Despite the positive impact of 

preventive methods, oral health disparities still exist (CDC. 2009). Many oral health indicators correlate 

positively with socioeconomic measures of income and education, as well as measures of race, ethnicity and 

age (CDC. 2009). Behringer, et al. (2007) compiled a list of general characteristics that set the Appalachian 

Region apart from the rest of the United States, many of which contribute to oral health disparities in the 

region. Chief among these characteristics are high levels of poverty, low levels of health insurance coverage 

and the rural nature of the region, which limit access to health care of any sort (Behringer, et al. 2007).

This study was funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) in order to analyze disparities in oral 

health status and access to oral health care in the Appalachian Region. It also examines relationships between 

oral health disparities and socioeconomic status indicators. The data and analyses included in this report 

compare the Appalachian and non-Appalachian metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas, as well as the 

Appalachian Region, to the rest of the country. Comparisons at the county level within the Appalachian 

Region are included where data were available. The purpose of this report is to allow for increased 

understanding of oral health disparities and their contributing factors, and aid efforts to develop targeted 

interventions to reduce these disparities in Appalachia.

1.2 THE APPALACHIAN REGION AND THE ARC

ARC was instituted by the federal government in 1965, with the objective to promote economic and social 

growth in the Appalachian Region. As shown in Figure 2, the region extends from southern New York to

northeast Mississippi and includes 420 counties in 13 states. Other states in the region include all of West 

Virginia and portions of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South 

Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Of the 420 counties, 82 were designated “economically distressed” in 

2011. According to the ARC (2009), approximately 24.8 million people resided in the region. 
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FIGURE 2 – COUNTY ECONOMIC STATUS IN APPALACHIA, FY 2012 

Source: Appalachian Regional Commission. www.arc.gov. 

The Appalachian Regional Commission uses an index-based county 

economic classification system to identify and monitor the economic 

status of Appalachian counties.

Map Created: March 2011.

Data Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS, 2007-2009;

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, REIS, 2008;

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2005-2009.
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1.3 ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORT

This report is presented in seven chapters, followed by supporting appendices. Chapters 2 through 4 address 

three measures of oral health in the Appalachian Region and compare them with the rest of the United States. 

Chapter 2 examines three major indicators of oral health, and discusses socioeconomic status as it relates to 

oral health disparities. Chapter 3 assesses characteristics of and trends in the oral health workforce, the effects 

of changes to the professional responsibilities of dental hygienists, and the challenges the dental community 

faces to meet the needs of the population. Chapter 4 reviews oral health insurance coverage, both statesponsored and private-payer. Chapter 5 identifies best practices in state oral health policies. Chapter 6 

summarizes the findings and makes recommendations for Appalachian Regional Commission interventions to 

improve oral health. In Chapter 7, references cited in the report are listed alphabetically, by author. 

Appendices contain the synthetic statistical analyses and survey materials.
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CHAPTER 2 ORAL HEALTH INDICATORS

2.1 FINDINGS

2.1.1 SELECTION OF INDICATORS

Healthy People 2010 identified seventeen objectives related to oral health. These objectives are sometimes 

referred to as oral health indicators, and include dental caries experience, untreated dental decay, tooth 

removal from disease-related causes, periodontal diseases, oral cancer, use of dental sealants, public water 

fluoridation, and use of the oral health care system, among others (DHHS. 2001). In this report, we include 

analysis of three such indicators in the Appalachian Region and nationally: fluoridation of water supplies, a 

preventive measure; dental visits, an access measure; and tooth loss, an outcome measure. 

2.1.2 FLUORIDATION OF WATER SUPPLIES

HISTORICAL CO NTEXT

Water fluoridation was introduced in the twentieth century as a means to prevent dental caries (Bailey, et al. 

2008; Kohlway. 2008), and is still considered the most effective method of reducing and preventing the 

incidence of dental caries (Griffin, Jones and Tomar. 2001; Mouradian, Wehr and Crall. 2000). It is 

inexpensive and disregards socioeconomic, racial, ethnic or age differences (Allukian. 2008). Some 

fluoridation occurs naturally. Only areas with low natural fluoride are candidates for supplementation. In 

2011, CDC set new standards for water fluoridation at 0.7 ppm (EPA. 2011). 

Although professionals continue to debate the proper level of fluoridation to protect teeth without creating 

challenges to other bone structures, fluoridation remains one of the most cost effective means of maintaining 

community oral health. 

Safe and effective measures exist to prevent the most common dental diseases--dental caries and periodontal 

diseases. Community water fluoridation is safe and effective in preventing dental caries in both children and 

adults. Water fluoridation benefits all residents served by community water supplies regardless of their social 

or economic status (NIDCR. 2000).

Some water supplies have natural fluoride; sea water, for example, has high fluoride levels. Areas reporting 

Community Water System (CWS) fluoridation monitor the levels. Others may monitor and not report, or not 

report and not monitor. In 2006, about 69 percent of the United States population that was served by CWS

had access to fluoridated water (CDC. 2007). Healthy People 2010, the official public health plan for the 

United States, stipulated a goal of 75 percent fluoridation of CWS. Overall, public fluoridation efforts among 

states in Appalachia was very high, with ten of 13 states in the region ranking in the top 20 nationwide, and 

only one state, Mississippi, ranking in the bottom ten (CDC. 2009). New York was average with 73 percent; 

Pennsylvania, with 54.2 percent of the population on fluoridated CWS, was close to Mississippi, which 

reported 50.9 percent. 
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Population does not distribute evenly across a state’s geography. As illustrated in Figure 4, the Appalachian 

counties in New York and Pennsylvania have very few fluoridated CWS. By contrast, Kentucky, which 

contains half of Appalachia’s distressed counties, ranked highest in the region in 2006 with regard to 

proportion of persons served by fluoridated CWS (CDC. 2009). However, many people do not have access to 

or use publicly-supplied water. This “self-supplied” population includes up to 44 percent of residents in some 

states. This trend is particularly evident in rural areas. 

TABLE 1 – APPALACHIAN STATES PERCENT OF POPULATION ON COMMUNITY 

WATER SUPPLIES WITH FLUORIDATED WATER

State 2006

Kentucky 99.8

Georgia 95.8

Virginia 95

South Carolina 94.6

Maryland 93.8

Tennessee 93.7

West Virginia 91.7

Ohio 89.3

North Carolina 87.6

Alabama 82.9

New York 72.9

Pennsylvania 54.2

Mississippi 50.9
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FIGURE 3 - COUNTY FLUORIDATED PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY IN THE U.S., 2006

Note: Reporting is voluntary. In 2006, Maryland and Ohio did not report county data. 
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FIGURE 4 – COUNTY FLUORIDATED PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY IN APPALACHIA, 2006
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APPALACHIA

States voluntarily report CWS fluoridation at the county level to the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC)3

. Because many states do not report data at this level, national comparisons have limited 

utility. In Ohio, for example, reporting at the county level itself is voluntary. Figure 4 shows wide variation in

reported fluoridation of public water supplies among Appalachian counties. Most counties have more than 

one water supply; hence, percent fluoridated is geographically uneven within a given county. Counties in the 

top CWS quintile have almost all (98 percent or more) public water supplies fluoridated, whereas counties in 

the bottom quintile have less than 20 percent of their public water supplies fluoridated. Almost one in five of 

reporting Appalachian counties was in the top quintile. However, the Southern, South-Central and Central 

regions show much higher levels of CWS fluoridation than the North-Central and Northern regions of 

Appalachia. For example, most Appalachian counties in Alabama provide fluoridated water to over 98 

percent of residents served by CWS, compared to about half of Appalachian New York, where counties 

provide fluoridation to less than 20 percent of residents who use CWS. Note that Maryland and Ohio are 

missing in this sample. A better review of regional fluoride would include both externally supplied and 

naturally occurring sources. The United States Geological Survey has reported high levels of naturally 

occurring fluoride in New York and Ohio. However, these data are not annually verified and are subject to 

change from natural forces. 

Table 2 shows persons using self-supplied water as a percent of the total population in Appalachian states. 

Data are statewide; rural regions are likely to have even higher proportions of people on self-supplied water, 

thus, less access to fluoridated public water. 

TABLE 2 – USE OF SELF-SUPPLIED WATER IN APPALACHIAN STATES, 2005

State Percent of total population served 

by self-supplied water

Alabama 11% 

Georgia 18% 

Kentucky 17% 

Maryland 17% 

Mississippi 19% 

New York 10% 

North Carolina 26% 

Ohio 17% 

Pennsylvania 20% 

South Carolina 30% 

Tennessee 9% 

Virginia 22% 

West Virginia 23% 

Source: U.S. Geological Survey, 2005. http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/wateruse/pdf/ 

wudomestic-2005.pdf

 

3 Forty percent of states were not reporting in the most recent data collected; thus, no national analysis on fluoridation was done.
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The map in Figure 4 is drawn from CDC data, but the picture is incomplete because it excludes several water

systems; self-supplied and school systems are not included. According to the 2005 United States Geological 

Survey, 10 to 30 percent of residents in 11 of the 13 Appalachian states use self-supplied water (United States

Geological Survey. 2005), with disproportionately higher numbers in the rural counties.

Many states also have programs to add fluoride to school water supplies, independent of public water 

systems, and these are not counted in the CDC statistics. For example, Kentucky’s Department of Public

Health now provides fluoridated water to all rural schools (Kentucky DPH. 2011) as part of a larger oral 

health initiative. Kentucky also provides fluoride supplements and oral health education to all households that 

have small children and no access to a fluoridated water supply. 

The research team was unable to find a good comparative source of naturally occurring groundwater fluoride. 

The United States Geological Survey appears to have a sampling and mapping system that is neither easily 

accessed, nor consistently updated. The Fluoride Action Network Pesticide Project also tracks naturally 

occurring fluorides in some state water supplies. However, its website notes that data may not be current4

. 

2.1.3 DENTAL VISITS

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Defined as “having had a dental visit within the past 12 months,” regular dental visits are considered essential 

to maintaining good oral health and may reduce the incidence of oral health diseases by identifying and 

treating dental caries early (DHHS. 2000). Dental caries, more commonly known as tooth decay, are the 

number one childhood disease in the U.S. (Beltran-Aguilar, et al. 2005; Kagihara, Niederhauser, Stark. 2009). 

Although dental caries are considered preventable (Selwitz, Ismail, Pitts. 2007), the risk of developing dental 

caries is constant throughout a person’s lifespan (Saunders, Meyerowitz. 2005) and the presence of dental 

caries affects quality of life at all ages (Selwitz, et al. 2007).

Researchers have associated development of dental caries with a variety of factors, including income, 

education, dental insurance coverage, oral hygiene behaviors, oral health knowledge, cultural beliefs and 

attitudes, age, race and ethnicity (Selwitz, et al. 2007). Lack of knowledge regarding the importance of 

maintaining oral health is a major contributing factor to oral health disparities (Selwitz, et al. 2007). 

Dental sealants, or plastic coatings applied to the chewing surface of the tooth where decay is most common, 

have been highly effective in preventing dental caries and preserving good oral health (CDC. 2004). In fact, 

the 2000 Surgeon General’s Report on Oral Health in America found that sealants reduced, by over 70 

percent, the risk of developing dental caries; and sealants were cost-effective, especially when used on highrisk children and high-risk teeth. Several community and school-based programs promote use of sealants 

among dental providers and/or apply them on-site to vulnerable child populations. Reported decreases in 

caries and increased use of dental sealants occurred at a time when regular children’s dental visits remained 

constant (Dye, et al. 2007). 

With regard to demographics, the prevalence of dental caries in adults aged 20 to 64 is lowest among nonHispanic whites, those with more than a high school education, and those at or above 200 percent of the 

federal poverty threshold (Dye, et al. 2007). 

 

4 Fluoride Action Network Pesticide Project. Index to High Levels of Fluoride in U.S. Drinking Water On line 

http://www.fluoridealert.org/pesticides/levels/index.html 
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BRFSS sample frames are too 

limited to provide meaningful 

information about the oral health 

of Appalachian children.

GEOGRAPHIC VARIATIONS IN DENTAL VISITS

For comparative profiles of dental visits, the CDC Behavioral Risk 

Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and National Health Interview 

Surveys (NHIS) are the only uniform sources of national data; both 

studies involve random telephone interview samples and are 

intended to capture national trends. Most BRFSS dental visit 

information can be aggregated only for large populations and adults. 

The amount of BRFSS data on the oral health of Appalachian 

children between 1999 and 2006 was insufficient for any meaningful mapping or analytical exercise. 

Similarly, these data sets are too sparse for use in same-year county comparisons; and multi-year comparisons

of small area data suffer from variations in sampling frames and question structure. 

BRFSS data can be used for state comparisons of adult oral health disparities and the contrasts are stark.

Figure 5 shows, at the state level, the percentage of adults responding to BRFSS surveys who reported at least

one regular dental visit in 2006. Reports of one visit for individual states ranged from 58 to 80.5 percent of 

surveyed adults.

The map is scaled in quintiles, with blue areas indicating a high percentage of adults who had a regular annual 

dental visit and red areas indicating a lower percentage. Nationally, most states in the lowest quintile are in 

the South and West, while states in the highest quintile are in the Northeast and upper Midwest. On par with 

the country as a whole, at least half of Appalachia is characterized by red areas, where less than 68 percent of 

the adult population received a regular dental visit. Five of the ten United States states in the lowest quintile 

are in Appalachia: Mississippi, Tennessee, South Carolina, Kentucky and West Virginia. Maryland is the only 

Appalachian state in the highest national quintile for this indicator.

Although this map illustrates unequal use of dental care among state populations, important sub-state 

variations in availability of dental care, repeated in other limited, small area studies, highlight even deeper 

disparities in the Appalachian Region. In Appendix C, researchers aggregated BRFSS data over multiple 

years in order to get enough data to separate Appalachian from non-Appalachian areas. Because the 

aggregations extend over eight and more years, the information is best interpreted only for trends.
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FIGURE 5 – PERCENT OF ADULTS WHO HAD A DENTAL VISIT WITHIN THE PREVIOUS YEAR IN THE U.S., 2006
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The NHIS annually samples visits by age group. By 2009, 59.6 percent of the population reported having a 

dental visit in the past year, with slightly higher percentages of children than adults reporting visits. These 

data, too, are only reported by state.

TABLE 3 – PERCENT OF PERSONS WHO REPORTED A DENTAL VISIT IN THE PAST YEAR,

BY AGE GROUPS, UNITED STATES, SELECTED YEARS 1997–2009

Age 2 years and over 2-17 years 18-64 years 65 years and over1

Year 1997 2008 2009 1997 2008 2009 1997 2008 2009 1997 2008 2009

Total 65.1 63.9 65.4 72.7 77.3 78.4 64.1 60.4 62 54.8 57.6 59.6

Source: CDC/NCHS, NHIS, sample child and sample adult questionnaires. Appendix D. 1

Based on the 1997 through 2009 NHIS, about 24% to 30% of persons 65 years and over were edentulous (having lost 

all their natural teeth). In 1997 through2009, about 69% to73% of older persons were edentate and 17%to 21% of 

older edentate persons had a dental visit in the past year.

A National Survey of Children’s Health prepared by the CDC in cooperation with the Health Resources and 

Services Administration (HRSA) looked at children’s preventive dental care in 2007. Data in Table 3 show

quintiles by Appalachian state. The average for all states was 79.4 percent. Appalachian states ranked at or 

above the national average on this metric.

TABLE 4 – PERCENT OF CHILDREN WITH PREVENTIVE DENTAL CARE IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS IN APPALACHIAN STATES, 2007

Appalachian State Percent of Children Receiving 

Preventive Dental Care Quintile

Pennsylvania 82.7% 2 

South Carolina 82.0% 2 

New York 80.8% 2 

Georgia 80.3% 2 

West Virginia 80.3% 2 

Maryland 79.1% 2 

Virginia 79.0% 3 

Tennessee 78.8% 3 

Ohio 78.7% 3 

Alabama 78.4% 3 

Kentucky 78.4% 3 

North Carolina 78.3% 3 

Mississippi 75.5% 4 

U. S. Average 79.4%

Source: National Survey of Children’s Health 2007 prepared by HRSA and CDC
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Children’s use of preventive dental services in Appalachian states was close to the national average. Figure 6

shows no Appalachian state in the highest or the lowest quintiles on the measure of children using preventive 

dental services in the last 12 months in 2007. 

FIGURE 6 – PERCENT OF CHILDREN USING PREVENTIVE DENTAL CARE, 2007

Source: National Survey of Children’s Health 2007 prepared by HRSA and CDC

http://childhealthdata.org/learn/NSCH 

Year after year, regardless of age, the percentage of NHIS respondents reporting of recent dental visits is 

smaller for persons inside metropolitan statistical areas (MSA’s) than outside MSA’s.

TABLE 5 – PERCENT OF PERSONS WHO REPORTED A DENTAL VISIT IN THE PAST YEAR,

BY AGE GROUP, METRO AND NON-METRO AREAS IN THE UNITED STATES, 1997-2009

Age 2 years and over 2-17 years 18-64 years 65 years and over1

Year 1997 2008 2009 1997 2008 2009 1997 2008 2009 1997 2008 2009

Within MSA 66.7 65.1 66.5 73.6 77.7 79.0 65.7 61.5 63.1 57.6 60.3 61.8

Outside MSA 59.1 57.9 59.5 69.3 75.1 75.5 58.0 54.5 55.9 46.1 48.3 51.3

Source: CDC/NCHS, NHIS, http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2010/093.pdf See Appendix D.

0

5

10

15

20

25

1 2 3 4 5

No. of States

Appalachian States

 All U.S. States

86.9-83.2% 83.1-79.6% 79.5-76.0% 75.9-72.3% 72.2-68.5% 
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Figure 7 maps the very limited BRFSS geographic data sample. It shows the geographic limitation of the 

metropolitan/ micropolitan sample frame. However it illustrates large national geographic variations in adult 

dental visits even in urban areas. The mapped data are for 2006 for reporting metropolitan (large urban) and 

micropolitan (small urban) areas throughout the United States. In the surveyed areas, visit patterns were 

similar to state visit patterns, with about 56 to 82 percent of adults reporting regular dental visits. Southern 

and Western urban areas favor the lower two quintiles and the Midwestern and Northeastern urban areas fall 

in the higher two quintiles.
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FIGURE 7 –DENTAL VISITS WITHIN THE PREVIOUS YEAR, METROPOLITAN AND MICROPOLITAN AREAS IN THE U.S., 2006

*This map offers a snapshot of the limited data available on dental visits in reporting metropolitan and micropolitan areas, or any 

area with at least 10,000 people in its “urban care” (U.S. Census Bureau 2011). There are no data for many of the metropolitan areas 

within Appalachia. Please see Appendix A. 
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APPALACHIAN STATES

The University of Mississippi Medical Center conducted a statistical analysis of multiple years of BRFSS 

survey results, which are detailed in Appendix C. The analysis shows that on average, adult residents of 

Appalachian and non-Appalachian areas reported similar patterns of regular dental care. Table 6 shows the 

percent of Appalachian adults who reported regular dental visits from 1997 to2007. However, study results 

indicate that from state to state, adults 18 or older who reported a regular dental visit varied as much as 45 

percent. In metropolitan Appalachian Mississippi, only 39.2 percent of adults reported visits within the year, 

compared to metropolitan Virginia outside of Appalachia where 74.2 percent reported visits (BRFSS. 1997-

2007). Please see Figure 7 for state results. 

TABLE 6 - ADULT ANNUAL DENTAL VISITS 1997-2007, BY LOCATION

ADULTS WHO HAD A DENTAL VISIT WITHIN THE PAST 12 MONTHS

Location Appalachian Region Non-Appalachian Region

Metropolitan 65% 68%

Non-metropolitan 65% 66%

Source: Observed unadjusted values, from survey responses 1997-2007; BRFSS; CDC. 

As noted earlier, the BRFSS data samples do not permit a systematic review at the sub-state level. The map in 

Figure 7 shows the BRFSS sampling areas for Metropolitan and Micropolitan areas. All other data are

sampled in “rest of state categories.” The University of Mississippi research team used algorithms to assign 

values to Appalachian portions of metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas.

Table 23 in Appendix C compares individual Appalachian states on the oral health indicator ‘Dental Visit in 

Last Year’, and shows the range of prevalence at a high of 74.2 percent having visited the dentist within the 

past year for metropolitan Virginia, outside Appalachia, to a low of 39.2 percent having visited a dentist in 

metropolitan Mississippi inside Appalachia. That lowest prevalence (rank 49) in Appalachian Mississippi is 

substantially lower than 48th ranked non-Appalachia, non-metropolitan Mississippi (at 54 percent). For the 

most part, the metropolitan regions have a higher prevalence of annual dental visits than the non-metropolitan 

areas. In other words, there is little difference in the prevalence of visits to the dentist in the past year between 

Appalachia and non-Appalachia metropolitan areas. Thus, the maps in Figures 7 and 9, though limited, do 

provide insight to oral health status in the region. 
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2.1.4 TOOTH REMOVAL

FIGURE 8 – SENIORS AGE 65 OR OLDER WITH ALL TEETH REMOVED IN THE U.S., 2006
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FIGURE 9 – SENIORS AGE 65 OR OLDER WITH ALL TEETH REMOVED, METROPOLITAN 

AND MICROPOLITAN AREAS IN THE U.S., 2006

*This map offers a snapshot of the limited data available on tooth removal among seniors in the reporting 

metropolitan and micropolitan areas, or any area with at least 10,000 people in its “urban core” (U.S. Census Bureau, 

2011). There are no data for many of the metropolitan areas within Appalachia. Please see Appendix A. 
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The results of a 2007 survey of children’s preventive dental care in Appalachian states are similar to reports 

for the entire United States. On average, 79 percent of children in Appalachian states reported having 

preventive dental care in the past year, but Appalachian states represented both the highest and the lowest 

in the United States. However, even in the lowest state, Mississippi, 75.5 percent of children reported 

receiving preventive dental care. In Pennsylvania, 82.7 percent reported receiving preventive dental care 

(CDC. 2007).

FIGURE 10 – STATUS OF CHILDREN’S PREVENTIVE DENTAL CARE IN APPALACHIA, 2007

Source: National Survey of Children’s Health 2007, Department of Health and Human Services, Maternal and Child 

Health Bureau of the HRSA.

These reports merely scratch the surface; none tested completeness of care or distinguished between screening 

and treatment. The National Survey of Children’s Health (2007) also noted that family income and presence of 

dental insurance accounted for major differences in use of services. “While 82.4 percent of children with private 

health insurance and 76.2 percent of those with public insurance received preventive dental care, only 58.5 

percent of uninsured children did so.”
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HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Though Tu and Gilthorpe (2005) carefully observed the lack of definitive research to determine whether the 

relationships between tooth loss and good health is truly causative or an outcome of other bad health

practices, primarily smoking, researchers agree that a relationship does exist.

Sanders, Spencer and Slade (2006) found that adults residing in disadvantaged areas had more teeth 

removed, on average, than adults residing in more affluent areas. Over time, tooth retention has generally 

improved among adults (Dye, et al. 2007). While this generally indicates improved oral health, having 

more teeth also puts a person at an increased risk of dental caries (Selwitz, et al. 2007). Tooth removal in 

adults is also significantly associated with certain behaviors, such as smoking (Tomar and Asma, 2000; 

Yanagisawa, et al., 2009). However, details on lifestyle factors are not examined in this report. 

STATE AND METRO AND MICROPOLITAN AREAS 

Figure 8 shows state level estimates of the percent of older adults that reported having all of their teeth 

removed as a result of preventable causes. This is generally considered an indicator of a life history of poor 

oral health and/or inadequate access to high quality oral health care. States ranged from a low of 9.6 percent 

(dark blue states) to a high of 40.5 percent (dark red states). Nationally, most states in the lowest quintile were 

in the Southeast and Lower Midwest, while states in the highest quintile were on the Pacific Coast and 

Southwest. In general, Appalachian states reflect this pattern: seniors in Southern Appalachian states are more 

likely to report being edentulous (toothless) than those in Northern Appalachian states. Five of the ten United 

States states in the lowest quintile are in Appalachia (Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky and West 

Virginia), and five more Appalachian states fall within the next lowest quintile (Georgia, South Carolina, 

North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania). Only two Appalachian states, Virginia and Maryland, both states 

with relatively few Appalachian counties, are in the highest national quintile that reported the fewest teeth 

removed. 

Similarly, Figure 9 shows the percentage of seniors reporting all teeth removed in the same reporting 

metropolitan and micropolitan areas described earlier (BRFSS. 2006). The scale ranges from zero to 48.1 

percent of seniors. Resembling the state profiles in Figure 8, the Southeast and lower Midwest reporting urban 

areas favor the lower two quintiles, while the Western part of the country favors the higher two quintiles. 

Again, Appalachian urban areas appear to be far behind the rest of the country on this metric. Nationally, 27 

states contain reporting urban areas that fall within the lower three quintiles (15.8 to 48.1 percent of adults 

had all teeth removed). In Appalachia, nine of 13 states contain urban areas that fall in this lower range. Only 

very small parts of Appalachian Pennsylvania, Ohio and Alabama report fewer than 15.8 percent of seniors 

with all teeth removed among reporting urban areas. 

These samples are too incomplete to provide conclusive assessments. At best, they suggest areas for more 

detailed investigation. 
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APPALACHIA

The wide variation in patterns of oral health indicators among Appalachian states and between metropolitan and 

non-metropolitan areas is less noticeable when the Appalachian Region is considered as a whole. Table 7 shows

degrees of tooth removal reported by residents of Appalachian states over an eight-year period (from 1999-

2006). Because BRFSS surveys contained too few samples from the Appalachian Region to provide significant 

information in a single year, raw survey data were extracted and summarized over the eight year span.

Appendix C contains the statistics by state for each of the years. At the aggregate level, geographic patterns 

are similar inside and outside Appalachia. At the small area level, adults with any teeth removed varied from 

only 31.1 percent in metropolitan Virginia, outside of Appalachia, to 65.2 percent in Appalachian areas of 

non-metropolitan Kentucky. Similarly, adults in this age range, with six or more teeth removed, varied in 

Appalachian regions from only 4.5 percent in metropolitan Georgia to 25 percent in non-metropolitan 

Kentucky. Geographically, seniors, adults aged 65 or older, reporting all teeth removed varied almost 40 

percent. Reporting metropolitan areas differed substantially. Only 14.4 percent of seniors in metropolitan 

Virginia, outside of Appalachia reported all teeth removed; this compares to 54.3 percent in non-metropolitan 

areas of Appalachian Kentucky. Because of the time lapse in the data, results should be considered indicators 

rather than exact measures. Any teeth removed, refers to removal only as a result of disease or decay. 

TABLE 7 - ORAL HEALTH STATUS IN APPALACHIAN STATES 1999 -2006

Location Appalachian Region Non-Appalachian Region

Any teeth removed: adults aged 35-44 years

Metropolitan 46% 44%

Non-metropolitan 50% 49%

6+ teeth removed: adults aged 35-44 years

Metropolitan 12% 10%

Non-metropolitan 14% 13%

All teeth removed: adults aged 65 or older

Metropolitan 30% 28%

Non-metropolitan 28% 29%

Source: BRFSS and CDC, 1999-2006. Data assembled by University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2010.
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FIGURE 11 – REPORTED TOOTH LOSS BY AGE AND METRO VERSUS NON-METRO GEOGRAPHY 1999-2006

Source: BRFSS Raw Survey Data 1999-2006. Statistics. See Appendix C.

For all three oral health indicators, the variable that explains any apparent small differences between 

Appalachian and non-Appalachian counties or between metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties is the 

level of poverty in the county in which these individuals lived. People, who live in counties where a larger 

percentage of the population is poor, tend to be less likely to report a dentist visit and report poorer oral health 

status as measured by tooth removal. When data were statistically controlled for the level of poverty of the 

community, any distinctive Appalachian or non-metropolitan effect was less apparent. The statistical analysis 

supporting this conclusion is developed in Appendix C. 

2.2 METHODOLOGY

2.2.1 NOTE ON DATA

There is a dearth of meaningful, up-to-date data available for the study of Appalachia’s oral health status. The 

majority of available data are from survey results that are five to 13 years old. Small sample sizes in those 

databases have required that multi-year (and often multi-state) data be aggregated in order to produce 

meaningful analysis. Even then, for the oral health indicators studied, there was insufficient data to draw any 

meaningful conclusions about the current oral health status of children. The data used in this study do not 

include measures of lifestyle behaviors, such as oral hygiene, nutrition and tobacco use, which also influence 

oral health status. 
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2.2.2 FLUORIDATION OF WATER SUPPLIES

DATA SOURCES

About 60 percent of states voluntarily report the counties that fluoridate public water supplies to the CDC, 

and these are made public. The most recent available data on this indicator is for 2006. With 40 percent of 

states not reporting, national analysis was unreasonable. Fortunately, all but two Appalachian states, 

Maryland and Ohio, reported on this indicator in 2006. Thus, a map of Appalachian counties presents a 

reasonable comparison. Please see Figure 4.

The water fluoridation measure used in this study is the percent of the county population receiving 

fluoridated water from public water supplies. Data for all United States counties were obtained from the 

CDC (CDC. 2009). A spreadsheet of these data was created for analytical and mapping purposes. Not only 

are data voluntary and may not be reported by all states, they are continuously sampled. Data are updated 

every 24 hours. Spreadsheet data mapped in Figures 3 and 4 are scaled differently. In Figure 3, the scale is 

distributed in a normal bell curve. Figure 4 data are distributed evenly in five percentile groups. Percentages 

listed in the legend are those associated with the percentile group.

The National Survey of Children’s Health (2007) was sponsored by DHHS, Maternal and Child Health 

Bureau of the HRSA and conducted under contract to University of Chicago National Organization for 

Research at the University of Chicago. These were telephone interviews conducted from April 2007 

through June 2008 producing a sample of 91,642 completed interviews for children ages 0 through 17.

DATA ANALYSIS

A spreadsheet of data from all counties in the 11 reporting Appalachian states was created for analytical 

and mapping purposes, and can be found in Appendix C. Figure 4 was produced to depict fluoridation 

efforts in Appalachia; blue areas represent those counties in the upper two quintiles, and with the most 

fluoridation; red areas represent those counties in the lower two quintiles, and with the least fluoridation. 

MAPPING

Water fluoridation at the national level, Figure 3, was prepared by researchers from the University of 

Mississippi Medical Center. Figure 4 was produced from raw data assembled by the University of 

Mississippi researchers, and regrouped to display five equal categories on a color scheme that represents 

low performance, in red, to high performance, in blue; white represents average percentages. Both maps 

represent percentage of community water supplies that were fluoridated.
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2.2.3 DENTAL VISITS AND TOOTH REMOVAL

DATA SOURCES

Data on regular dental visits and tooth removal are publicly available from a CDC-sponsored, stateadministered annual survey, BRFSS. The BRFSS is an extensive, continuous telephone health survey used for 

monitoring health conditions and health-risk behaviors across the entire United States, the District of 

Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam. The survey is designed to estimate state-level 

information on health behaviors and disease prevalence through the use of a probability sample accomplished 

through a random selection of telephone numbers. Most data are available only at the state level and are 

current only to 2006. 

For the state and metro/micropolitan analyses, only 2006 (single-year) BRFSS data were used. For the 

Appalachian area analysis, no single year of BRFSS data set is sufficient for generalized analysis. Thus, the 

analyses here involves aggregate BRFSS data over eight to eleven years, 1999 through 2006 and 1997 

through 2007, to estimate oral health status and service use in smaller sub-state areas within the Appalachian 

Region. 

The complete BRFSS dataset for 1999 through 2006 contains 2,085,241 individual records based on yearly 

probability samples aimed at estimating prevalence of health indicators and health behaviors for all 50 states. 

Of these, only 543,204 respondents, to three different questions, came from the Appalachian Region. Four

oral health indicators were obtained from the BRFSS datasets: adults who reported a dental visit within the 

past 12 months, those aged 35 to 44 reporting any tooth removal, those aged 35 to 44 reporting six or more 

teeth removed, and those aged 65 or older reporting all teeth missing. Table 8, which lists the small and

varying annual sample sizes for the indicators, demonstrates why researchers aggregated so many years of 

data. However, data aggregated over so many years should be considered carefully and with limitations. 

TABLE 8 - SAMPLE SIZES FOR ORAL HEALTH INDICATORS: NUMBER OF APPALACHIAN RESPONDENTS BY YEAR (N=543,204)

Year Adults who had a dental visit 

within the past 12 months

Respondents for six tooth

removal indicators, aged 35 

to 44

Seniors aged 65 or older with 

all teeth removed

1999 40,898 8,919 7,864

2000 9,766 2,268 1,578

2001 15,599 3,306 2,901

2002 67,931 13,747 14,273

2003 23,965 4,840 4,660

2004 79,227 14,771 18,082

2005 9,511 1,638 2,293

2006 95,441 16,614 25,230

Total 342,338 65,103 76,881

Number surveyed 

for this question 342,338 65,614 76,881

Source: CDC/BRFSS, 1999-2006. See Appendix C. Note annual totals do not match reported surveys for the Ages 35-44 

group.
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Using this dataset to draw generalizations about the Appalachian Region as a whole has important limitations:

• BRFSS responses are not reported each year in every state. Thus, if only one or two states reported 

much of the data on a single indicator, estimates at the regional level might disproportionately 

reflect the situation in the reporting states and not accurately reflect the overall region. 

• Not every question is asked in every state, so some indicators may be heavily skewed toward 

certain states and less representative of the entire region.

• Numbers of responses differ substantially from year to year; for example, nearly ten times as many 

people responded about dental visits in 2006 (95,411 people) as in 2005 (9,511 people).

• The total sample sizes of aggregated data are still small, relative to the 24.8 million people in the 

region. 

• Some data appear to be missing for the 35 to 44 age group. 

• All data were collected by random telephone survey. Samplers in most states tried to incorporate cell 

phones. 

The University of Mississippi Medical Center analysis did summarize information at the state level, and is 

included in Appendix C. Though the data indicate wide variation in oral health status measures among the 

Appalachian states, the limitations urge the reader to avoid drawing conclusions about individual states. The 

more important message is in the absence of a reliable baseline estimate of annual change in Appalachian oral 

health status. 

The CDC, National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) maintain several databases from interview surveys. 

However, with regard to dental care, none is robust enough to provide information at the Appalachian 

Region-level over time.

DATA ANALYSIS

The BRFSS survey was designed to estimate health behaviors at the state-level, and the yearly estimates are 

reasonably good approximations of the state-level population prevalence. Estimates for areas smaller than the 

state level require attention to sample size issues. The data may be sparse when isolated to small local areas, 

particularly when further separated for three age-specific oral health/behavior indicators. The CDC suggests 

that estimates be based on at least 50 individual observations for a specific small area. As a first attempt at 

analysis, University of Mississippi research team estimated the prevalence proportions for each of the three

indicators at the county level. In the Appalachian states, there are a total of 1,070 counties. Of these, only 531 

counties had at least one respondent to at least one of the oral health/behavior indicator questions. The strict 

requirement of at least 50 observations retains estimates for a reduced number of counties as listed in the 

following table: 

TABLE 9 - ASSESSMENT OF COUNTIES IN APPALACHIAN STATES REPRESENTED IN BRFSS DATA

Indicator Number of counties 

with 1+ observations

Number of counties with 

50+ observations

Visit Within 1 Year 504 496

Any/Major Removal (35-44) 503 260

Major Removal (65+) 503 311

Source: BRFSS Surveys aggregated 199-2006, See Appendix C.
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Therefore, difficulties with sample size requirements for the BRFSS county-level estimates warranted other 

approaches for identifying differences between Appalachian and non-Appalachian Regions within the 

Appalachian states. Initially, the University of Mississippi research team considered using the county-level 

prevalence estimates of the oral health/behavior indicators from the aggregated 1999-2006 BRFSS data. 

MSA and non-MSA conclusions were developed by aggregating BRFSS data from Appalachian states to 

metropolitan versus non-metropolitan and Appalachian versus non-Appalachian Regions within each state. 

Area estimates were made for 39 separate regions, with varying levels of precision (see Appendix A for map 

of regions used, and detailed statistical analyses). Note that the number of children in the survey was still too 

small to use for separate analyses.

The major limitations of this method include: better estimates in metropolitan areas than in rural areas; better 

estimates for adults than for children; and a lack of adequate data points for meaningful county-level 

estimates. Moreover, the large deficiency of county-level and rural data leave a largely incomplete picture of 

the current state of oral health in Appalachia. Increased data collection, or over-sampling, in the Appalachian 

Region is highly advised as a part of future policy and best practice recommendations.

As noted in Appendix C, the University of Mississippi research team submitted a proposal to the NCHS 

Research Data Center requesting oral health indicator data from the NHANES survey aggregated to the 

county-level for the Appalachian states. After several revisions and conversations with NCHS staff, they 

received the following from an NCHS reviewer: 

“As I understand the analyses of interest, the researchers are interested in presenting oral health measures 

stratified by individual counties. The proposed analysis cannot be done without presenting disclosure 

risk. We do not allow presentation of data at the county level. Secondly, there are practical issues that 

raise questions about the feasibility of the analysis as planned. NHANES goes to 30 sites (which are 

individual counties) per year. Respondents are not selected to be representative of the population of 

individual counties.” 

MAPPING

Reported Dental Visits, and Teeth Removed, were mapped using data prepared by researchers from the 

University of Mississippi Medical Center (Krause. 2010) or directly from data extracted from HRSA Area 

Resource Files by the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Service Research, University of North Carolina at 

Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the UNC Sheps staff opened the Mississippi map compositions, found

locations of source data and made new maps in a consistent style, using categories determined by national 

quintiles. Data sources and attribution were inferred from information in a first draft of this report (Krause. 

2010) and data archives labeled as being source data for maps.
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From Surgeon General’s Report on Oral 

Health in America

• Tobacco-related oral lesions are 

prevalent in adolescents who currently 

use smokeless tobacco. 

• Professional care is necessary for 

maintaining oral health, yet 25 percent 

of poor children have not seen a 

dentist before entering kindergarten. 

• Medical insurance is a strong predictor 

of access to dental care. Uninsured 

children are 2.5 times less likely than 

insured children to receive dental 

care. Children from families without 

dental insurance are 3 times more 

likely to have dental needs than 

children with either public or private 

insurance. For each child without 

medical insurance, there are at least 

2.6 children without dental insurance. 

• Medicaid has not been able to fill the 

gap in providing dental care to poor 

children. Fewer than one in five 

Medicaid-covered children received a 

single dental visit in a recent year-long 

study period. Although new programs 

such as the State Children's Health 

Insurance Program (SCHIP) may 

increase the number of insured 

children, many will still be left without

effective dental coverage. 

• The social impact of oral diseases in 

children is substantial. More than 51 

million school hours are lost each year 

to dental-related illness. Poor children 

suffer nearly 12 times more restrictedactivity days than children from 

higher-income families. Pain and 

suffering due to untreated diseases 

can lead to problems in eating, 

speaking, and attending to learning.

Source: Oral Health in America-a Report of 

the Surgeon General. U.S. DHHS / NIDCR / 

NIH. 2000.

2.3 SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION

2.3.1 ORAL HEALTH INDICATORS AND APPALACHIA

Spatial analyses of water fluoridation, dental visits, and tooth 

extractions generally reflect poorer oral health in parts of the 

Appalachian Region than in the nation as a whole. Nationally, 

metropolitan areas reported better oral health than nonmetropolitan areas, and this trend largely holds true for 

Appalachia. Southern and Central Appalachian states tend to have 

poorer overall measures of oral health than Northern Appalachian 

states. Maryland and Virginia reported the best oral health status, 

while Southern Appalachian States reported the worst. 

While there is substantial variability in the extent of water 

fluoridation and access to public water supply within Appalachia, 

most areas in Southern and Central Appalachia fluoridate 75 

percent or more of the public water supply. Northern Appalachia 

is less active with water fluoridation efforts, with much of the area 

fluoridating less than 20 percent of the public water supply. Some

states, such as Ohio, have high concentrations of naturally 

occurring fluoride. Importantly, ten to 30 percent of people in 

Appalachian states, and likely more in rural Appalachian counties, 

draw from self-supplied water sources without added fluoride.

Two-thirds of Appalachians reported seeing a dentist in the 

aggregated BRFSS data from 1997-2007, but half reported 

disease-related tooth loss, and almost one quarter reported losing 

six or more teeth to disease or decay in 1999-2006. Appalachian 

areas generally reported more decay-related tooth loss than the 

rest of the United States, with Northern Appalachian states 

reporting fewer teeth lost than Southern states. Almost ten

percent of Appalachian seniors reported having lost all of their 

teeth over the eight-year span.

An important take-away from this study is that state-level 

analyses oversimplify the variations occurring at sub-state 

levels. To accurately evaluate the status of oral health in the 

Appalachian Region and recommend the best targeted 

approaches, ARC will require collection of more and better substate data. BRFSS sampling is too small for county-level 

analyses. However, future BRFSS sample designs that

intentionally separate Appalachian and/or rural versus 

metropolitan subareas of a state would provide better year to 

year comparisons.
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2.3.2 ORAL HEALTH INDICATORS AND SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Socioeconomic status (SES) is statistically related to oral health status, as measured in several different ways. 

This report examines those SES indicators that set Appalachia apart and for which good data were available, 

including metropolitan versus non-metropolitan status, poverty levels, and—to the extent possible—dental 

insurance coverage. Other SES indicators, such as percent of school children that receive free or reduced 

lunch or level of education are not included in this report for lack of data. In general, the Appalachian Region 

is characterized by high rates of poverty and unemployment, low incomes and a large rural population 

(Behringer, et al. 2007). 

Twice as many people in Appalachia live in rural areas compared to the rest of the U.S. (42 and 20 percent, 

respectively) (ARC. 2011). The region lags in many health care technological advances, in part because of its 

more rural nature and high number of uninsured persons (Behringer, Friedell. 2006). Rural areas face more

challenges accessing dental care than urban areas. Both workforce size and number of facilities are more 

limited in rural areas. (Huttinger, Schaller-Ayers, Lawson. 2004: 103). The result is dentists who practice in 

these areas can be overburdened with patients (Krause, Mosca, and Livingston. 2003). For lower income 

families, transportation to the few available facilities may not always be feasible (Krause, et al. 2003).

Many non-metropolitan areas have high levels of poverty; and this holds true in Appalachia. The poverty rate 

in Appalachia exceeded the national average by nearly five percent in 2008 (18 and 13.2 percent, 

respectively) (U.S. Census Bureau and ARC. 2011). Poverty has long been considered an indicator of poor 

health in general; however, a study (Hudson, Stockard, Ramberg. 2007) concluded that “[i]n spite of the 

pervasive cultural images associating poor dental care with poverty, very little of this research has focused on 

dental and oral health.” However, Dye and colleagues (2007) noted that areas with high poverty levels have a 

higher incidence of decayed, missing, and filled teeth. Low income is also correlated with other SES 

indicators such as unemployment and lack of dental insurance, which may also affect oral health status. 

Within the Appalachian Region, Central Appalachia has the highest concentration of poverty, with about 21 

percent of the population in poverty (Lichter, Campbell. 2005). ARC has designated 82 of the 420 

Appalachian counties “distressed” based on high poverty rates, high unemployment rates and low per capita 

income (ARC. 2011). More than half of these counties are in Kentucky. Unfortunately, there are too few data 

in this report to make current assessments of relationships between poverty areas and oral health at the substate level. 
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FIGURE 12 – ARC DESIGNATED DISTRESSED COUNTIES, FY 2012 

Source: Appalachian Regional Commission. www.arc.gov/research.

Prepared by the Appalachian Regional Commission.

Data Sources: 

Unemployment data: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS, 2007-2009

Income data: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, REIS, 2008

Poverty data: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, American Community

Survey, 2005-2009
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42 percent of children ages 2 to 4 

had untreated decay. 

Kentucky’s Department of Public 

Health Oral Health Program

Julie Watts McKee 2011

We can only note that at the Appalachian Region-level, when data in this study were controlled for 

socioeconomic indicators (SES), geographic differences disappeared. Details on that analysis are contained in 

Appendix C. Poverty, low income in the community and low levels of insurance in the community correlated 

with low rates of dental visits. Poverty and rural location correlated with high rates of tooth removal. See 

Table 27. 

Dental care does not receive the same priority as basic medical care for residents in the region and this is 

attributed to household budget constraints (Huttinger, et al. 2004). Accordingly, children (Flores, TomanyKorman. 2008) and adults are less likely to have dental insurance than medical insurance (NIH and CDC, 

2002). There is also evidence of low utilization of dental services among rural populations covered by 

Medicaid (Fisher, Mascarenhas. 2007); contributing factors could include scarcity of nearby facilities and 

practitioners that participate in Medicaid. Please see Chapter 4, Oral Health Insurance Coverage, for further 

discussion on dental insurance. 

The Surgeon General’s reports in both 2000 and 2011 draw attention to relationships between diabetes and 

oral health in Appalachia and the Ozarks, indicating the importance of involving both pediatricians and 

geriatricians in helping their patients recognize this link to total health maintenance.

2.3.3 ORAL HEALTH OF CHILDREN IN APPALACHIA

For children, poverty is one of the most influential variables on health status (de la Fuente-Hernandez and 

Acosta-Gio, 2007; Dietrich, et al., 2008; Krol, 2003; Krol and Nedley, 2007; Sabbah, et al., 2007; Selwitz, 

Ismail and Pitts, 2007; Sgan-Cohen and Mann, 2007). Low-income children are also the least likely group to 

receive any preventive oral care (Kenney, et al. 2005). In a recent study conducted with 2,183 school children 

in North Carolina, children with poor oral health status were nearly four times more likely than others to miss 

school due to dental pain (Jackson, et al. 2011). Absences caused by pain were associated with poorer school 

performance, but absences for routine care were not (Jackson, et al. 2011). Overall, oral health status was 

associated with poorer academic performance independent of school absence for pain (Jackson, et al. 2011). 

Presenters at the 2011 ARC Conference on Healthy Families, Healthy Future shared experiences indicating 

that children in Appalachia still face significant dental care and oral health hurdles. 

Reporting for North Central Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center, Tioga County Partnership for 

Community Health, Laurel Health System Mansfield University, Tioga County Dental Society and Temple 

School of Dentistry, Executive Director, Deborah L. Sawyer, noted that 90 percent of students at the clinic 

fail the dental care comprehension exam in seventh grade. The exam tests awareness of good oral health 

practices. She also observed that having all teeth extracted and dentures made is a rite of passage for many 

16-year olds in the clinic’s service area. Her program serves 41,981 rural residents in a Dental Health 

Professional Shortage Area.

Reporting for Eastern Kentucky, Julie Watts McKee, DMD, State 

Dental Director, described continued high incidence of dental caries in 

five- and six-year olds. She described Governor Steve Beshear’s 

campaign to address it by extending Medicaid to Oral Health 

Coalitions in 12 Eastern Kentucky counties and 13 Eastern Kentucky 

school systems. She, too, noted that awareness of good dental hygiene 

practices is as significant as problems with access to providers.
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Bobbi Jo Muto noted that in 2005, West Virginia ranked lowest in the nation in oral health and highest in 

tobacco use. At that time, West Virginia’s Dental Director worked part time and had limited staff. Working 

with Marshall University, West Virginia policy makers began to tackle the problem with a program aimed at 

establishing dental homes for children. The program works with local dentists, focuses on sealants and 

community education and builds a scorecard on the status of children’s oral health. 

Shelley Goodall, Mountain Laurel Clinic, Garrett Co., Maryland reported a substantial unmet need for 

dental care among residents of her clinic’s service area. Her story illustrates how good statistics from the rest 

of the state mask problems in Appalachian communities. 

2.3.4 IMPLICATIONS

Oral health is tightly tied with population health and productivity. In general, poor oral health is considered a 

precursor to more serious health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease (Kenney, McFeeters, Yee. 2005). 

To this point, the CDC has actually identified two of the indicators studied in this report, dental visits and 

tooth removal, as chronic disease indicators (CDC. 2007). 

Safe, effective measures like fluoridation, dental sealants, fluoride rinses, dietary supplements and good 

personal oral hygiene practices are relatively low cost investments that can reach large numbers of people. 

Yet, large parts of Appalachian states have lower oral health status than the rest of the country.

Socioeconomic conditions are directly associated with oral health status. Because direct care for purposes of 

either repair or prevention is costly and poorly covered by public or private health insurance, the best 

opportunities for improvement in oral health status are community initiatives. Fluoridation, fluoride rinses 

and public information about good oral health hygiene practices reach more people with smaller investments.

Programs for children, even those involving direct care, are aimed at building a foundation of good oral health 

practices.
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CHAPTER 3 ORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE

3.1 FINDINGS

3.1.1 WORKFORCE CHARACTERISTICS AND SUPPLY TRENDS

According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS. 2000), the ability of the 

oral health workforce to adequately meet the preventive and care needs of the population is a national 

concern. Professional workforce capacity is unevenly distributed, and the Appalachian Region has far fewer 

dental providers than the United States average. Even within the Appalachian Region, workforce 

concentrations vary significantly. Opportunities to improve Appalachian oral health care access, thus, involve

the number and distribution of dentists, as well as expanded roles of dental hygienists and other auxiliary 

dental providers and staff. 

In addition to the uneven distribution of dental care providers, national policy makers are also concerned 

about workforce trends that show a shift toward part-time work, and scarcity of specialists. Available 

geographic data on the oral health workforce do not distinguish between full- and part-time providers; 

however, the number of dentists practicing part-time has been increasing, from fewer than ten percent in 1975 

to 20 percent in 2004 to as many as 25 percent projected in 2020 (Solomon. 2004). Historically, a high debt 

load at completion of dental school has been part of the distribution problem, making dentists less likely to 

practice in poor areas (DHHS. 2000). While medical school graduates in 2010, on average, accumulated 

$157,944 in debt (AMA. 2011), dental school graduates averaged $177,144 (ADA. 2011). Rural areas 

typically lack the financial resources to attract dentists (Guay. 2004). 

Though general dentistry is critical for good oral health care, specialists play a critical role in total oral health 

care. Eighty five percent of all dentists practiced general dentistry in 2008 (BLS. 2008), limiting access to 

specialists, such as orthodontists, pediatric dentists, or periodontitis. Anecdotal reports indicate this is 

especially true in underserved areas. Specialization and length of work week factors are largely absent from 

national databases, but are critical to the dialogue on the reach and productivity of the oral health workforce. 

3.1.2 DENTISTS

Figure 13 shows county dentists per 100,000 persons in the United States in 2007. Counties range from zero 

to 377 dentists per 100,000 persons. The map is scaled in quintiles: areas in blue have a higher ratio of 

dentists (from 39 to 377 per 100,000 persons); areas in red have a lower ratio of dentists (from zero to 27 per 

100,000 persons); white counties are average. The 2007 average for the United States was 65 dentists per 

100,000 people, or 1,546 people per dentist. The western third of the country and northeastern states have the 

most dentists per population, while the middle third and southeastern states have the fewest. 

With regard to the distribution of high and low supply counties, Appalachia appears to be a microcosm of the 

United States. Distribution patterns in Figure 14 mimic those in Figure 13. However, the Appalachian Region 

averaged only 48 dentists per 100,000 persons in 2007, or about 2,100 people per dentist (Area Resource File 

(ARF) raw data files. 2007). This is 36 percent more people per dentist than the national average. Northern 

Appalachian states had more dentists per population than Southern and Central Appalachian states. Every 

Appalachian state, except Maryland, had low supply counties. 
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FIGURE 13 – COUNTY DENTISTS PER 100,000 PERSONS IN THE U.S., 2007
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FIGURE 14 – COUNTY DENTISTS PER 100,000 PERSONS IN APPALACHIA, 2007
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Fewer providers create potential workload issues for dentists in rural areas. In 2008, there was 36 percent 

less dental workforce capacity in rural than urban areas. There were only 22 generalist dentists per 100,000 

people in rural areas, compared to 30 per 100,000 people in urban areas (Doescher, et al. 2009). 

Improving the geographic distribution of dentists appears to require more than producing dental school 

graduates in the state. Speaking at the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) 2011 Healthy Families, 

Healthy Future conference, Julie McKee, DMD, Chief Dental Officer for the State of Kentucky, presented 

statistics on retention of dentists from Kentucky dental schools. She noted that in 2006, only 49 percent of 

University of Kentucky Dental School graduates remained in Kentucky; only 14 percent of University of 

Louisville Dental School graduates remained in the state (McKee. 2011). 

Another issue plaguing the dental workforce in the United States is lack of diversity in regard to age, sex 

and racial/ethnic composition. Little data exist on the makeup of the dental workforce; existing data show 

the majority of dentists are male, white and middle-aged. As of 2004, men made up 81 percent of all 

dentists in the United States (Solomon. 2004). The American Dental Association (ADA) reports that while 

25 percent of the United States population is of a racial/ethnic minority background, only 12 percent of 

United States dentists fit into this classification (ADA 2011). In 2008, the Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, 

Montana and Idaho (WWAMI) Rural Health Research Center at the University of Washington reported that 

42 percent of non-metropolitan dentists were aged 56 or older, while only 15 percent were age 39 or 

younger. Considering the increased dental needs of the aging population over the next several decades, 

aging of the dental workforce is worrisome. Appendix G shows county trends and economic status in the 

dental workforce in Appalachian counties. 

Diversity in the dental workforce is especially critical for underserved areas, where minority dentists see a 

very high number of minority patients (ADA, 2011). One study by Davidson, et al. (2007) looked at the 

American Dental Education Association’s 2003 survey of dental graduates and found three characteristics 

associated with provision of care to minority patients: female gender, under-represented racial/ethnic 

minority group and lower parents’ income. This can be considered a problem, or it may point to 

opportunities for enhancing the oral health workforce in underserved areas.

Workforce shortages call for creative alternatives, but these have been slow to emerge. Over the past 

decade, there has been a strong argument to place a greater focus on provision of culturally appropriate care 

in dental school curriculums (Haden, et al. 2003). Expanded roles for non-dentist oral health workers is 

gaining more national acceptance. Appalachian states have been generally more restrictive than others in 

regard to expanded practice for dental hygienists and other non-dentists. South Carolina, a notable 

exception, and Kentucky expanded practice opportunities in 2006. Pilot projects, started in Appalachian 

North Carolina, have demonstrated that pediatricians can also successfully provide topical dental fluoride 

and dental sealants to large numbers of children. Yet, the practice has been slow to translate to the general 

population of pediatricians.
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3.1.3 DENTAL HYGIENIST S

To compensate for workforce shortages and contain costs of providing care, the dental profession has always 

employed auxiliary dental providers. Over time, these oral health practitioners have separated into new 

professions, dental hygienists and dental assistants. Dental assistants make up the majority of the allied oral 

health workforce, and in most states, no formal training requirements for this role exist (BLS. 2010). 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program produces estimates 

of people employed in certain occupations. Figure 15 shows the estimates of self-reported (including noncredentialed) “dental hygienists” per 1,000 persons in the United States in 2010. BLS uses sub-state areas for 

aggregating, some of which include both Appalachian and non-Appalachian territory. The blue areas indicate 

the higher two quintiles, with 1.86 to 3.88 hygienists per 1,000 persons. The red areas indicate the lower two 

quintiles, with zero to 0.93 hygienist per 1,000 persons. The states in the Central and Southern United States, 

along with Alaska and Utah, have the fewest dental hygienists; the states in the Northern United States, from 

Washington to Michigan to Maine, have the most dental hygienists. The national average is one hygienist per 

730 people. Because many of the sub-state BLS areas fall across Appalachian lines, it is difficult to draw 

regional conclusions; however, Figure 15 indicates that Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania 

are the Appalachian states with the highest ratios of dental hygienists per population. 

Licensure for each is state governed. Gradually, some states are permitting auxiliary dental providers to 

perform tasks previously limited to dentists.
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FIGURE 15 – DENTAL HYGIENISTS PER 1,000 POPULATION BY BLS REGION IN THE U.S., MAY 2010

Note: Areas with no reported data were registered as zero.
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The scope of practice for dental hygienists is largely determined by regulations established by state licensing 

boards. The specific tasks dental hygienists can perform and the level of dentist supervision required to 

perform those tasks vary by state. Some states, typically Western states, are nationally recognized for placing 

fewer restrictions on dental hygienists, allowing them to perform a wider variety of functions with fewer 

requirements for direct supervision (HRSA. 2004; Kleiner, Park. 2008). Other states put many more 

restrictions on dental hygienists, often limiting their professional portfolio, wages, and permission to provide 

basic dental services needed in underserved communities (HSRA. 2004; Kleiner, Park. 2008). The American 

Dental Hygienists Association (ADHA) refers to the combination of permitted tasks and accompanying levels 

of dentist supervision as the “autonomy” of dental hygienists.

Most of the tasks permitted for dental hygienists fall under the umbrella of oral health assessment and 

education (HRSA. 2004). Some basic tasks typically performed by dental hygienists include cleaning (or 

prophylaxis) and administration of fluoride, x-rays and topical anesthesia. Other tasks, such as placing sutures 

and administering nitrous oxide (N2O) and local anesthesia, are permitted for dental hygienists in only some 

states, and with varying levels of supervision. All permitted tasks are assigned supervision levels by states. 

According to the Health Resource and Services Administration (HRSA. 2004), the level of supervision a 

dentist provides can be categorized as personal, direct, indirect, general or unsupervised: 

• Personal supervision implies the immediate presence and active participation of the dentist in the 

procedure or services being provided to the patient. Generally, this level of supervision applies 

when a dentist is the primary provider of a service and the hygienist is assisting. 

• Direct supervision usually indicates that the dentist has prescribed and/or authorized the services 

being provided to the patient while the dentist is physically present in the office. In some states, this 

level of supervision requires that the dentist examine the patient after the hygienist has completed 

the service and prior to the patient’s departure. 

• Indirect supervision suggests that the dentist has authorized the work to be performed by the 

hygienist at some time in his interface with the patient (either immediately or at some prior point), 

and that the dentist is physically present and readily available to the hygienist.

• General supervision often means that the dentist has authorized a hygienist to perform a hygiene 

task that is not always a patient-specific authorization but may be a task-specific authorization, i.e., 

may perform a dental hygiene assessment on patients. The dentist is not required to be present in 

the facility where the services are performed, but should be available or have dental coverage 

available to the hygienist as needed. He may also authorize the performance of the task in a setting 

other than the dental office. In some cases, written authorization or a prescription from the 

authorizing dentist is required for the patient to receive hygiene services. This authorization may 

need to be patient-specific, or it may be part of a formal hygiene protocol for treating patients. In 

some states, dental boards or legislatures have appended a provision to general supervision that 

requires the patient be informed that the supervising dentist is not on the premises. 

• Unsupervised indicates the most autonomous form of practice for a hygienist. When unsupervised 

practice is described in law, the tasks permitted are usually well defined and focused on special 

competencies of dental hygienists such as oral hygiene instruction and education, dental hygiene 

treatment planning, oral prophylaxis or fluoride treatments. In situations where unsupervised 

practice is permitted, as is the case in the state of Washington, there is often a stipulation for the 

hygienist to refer the patient to a dentist for any needed dental services or dental treatment (HRSA. 

2004). 
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Under contract with HRSA, the Center for Health Workforce Studies at the School of Public Health at the 

University at Albany created the Dental Hygiene Professional Practice Index (DHPPI) to document 

variations in government regulations and practice conditions for the50 states and the District of Columbia. 

The baseline year was 2001. The DHPPI measures restrictions that affect access to hygiene services, 

particularly for underserved populations (HRSA 2004). The DHPPI rates states on the basis of restrictions on 

dental hygienists, including:

• Level of supervision 

• Type of tasks hygienists are permitted to perform 

• Reimbursement

• Legal influences

The DHPPI was summarized (Krause, et al. 2010), and is included in Appendices E and F.

Gradually, between 2001 and 2007, state licensure boards have expanded the scope of oral health services that 

can be delivered by non-dentists, making oral health care available to more people, generally at lower costs 

(Kleiner. 2011). However, fear plays a role in expansion of non-dentist labor force capabilities. Most dental 

practices are small and involve substantial personal capital investment on the part of individual proprietors. 

With few people covered by generous dental insurance policies, dentists fear loss of paying customers to a 

less expensive workforce (Kleiner. 2011). The Kleiner report demonstrates that reallocation of tasks from 

dentists to hygienists reduces the need for dentists. In the Appalachian case, where dentists are in short 

supply, this could be a good thing. 

Guided by the DHPPI, in 2001, HRSA rated states as excellent, favorable, satisfactory, limiting or restrictive 

on a variety of functions. Excellent represents the least restricted hygiene practices, up to completely 

unsupervised or independent practices. 

The most recent update on state regulation of dental hygienists was produced by ADHA. Figure 165 compares

the 2007 mean ADHA state supervision scores for cleaning and prophylaxis as assigned by the ADHA, and 

allows for comparison of the levels of restrictions placed on dental hygienists between the states in the 

Appalachian Region and the rest of the United States. Blue indicates areas where hygienists are afforded 

greater autonomy to perform cleaning and prophylaxis; red indicates areas where hygienists are more heavily 

supervised. The nation is split almost down the center, with western states allowing dental hygienists more 

autonomy and eastern states requiring higher levels of supervision. With the exception of South Carolina and 

New York, the Appalachian States are almost entirely red (in the lowest two national quintiles), meaning that 

dental hygienists’ autonomy is more likely to be limited in the Appalachian region than in the nation as a 

whole. 

 

5 Note that the quantity of licensed dental hygienists in Figure 15 is 10-fold lower than the total number of hygienists in Figure 16.
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FIGURE 16 - ADHA RATING OF HYGIENISTS’ AUTONOMY BY STATE, 2007
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3.2 METHODOLOGY

3.2.1 DATA SOURCES

The data on the oral health workforce are the most current in this report. Data on supply and distribution of 

dentists were drawn from the 2009-2010 United States DHHS, HRSA and ARF. This same information for 

dental hygienists was drawn from the BLS’ May 2010 OES Survey. Statistics on the dentist labor force are 

maintained by the ADA and uploaded periodically, but not annually, to the ARF. State scores for permitted 

functions and supervision levels of dental hygienists were obtained from a survey conducted by, and used 

with permission from, the ADHA. 

Assignment of hygienist permission scores was guided by the HRSA’s DHPPI. Data on state licensure are 

available directly from the states, and in the 2004 HRSA’s report “The Professional Practice Environment of 

Dental Hygienists in the Fifty States and the District of Columbia, 2001”. The map in Figure 16 was provided 

directly by ADHA and is printed with its permission. We changed only the colors to provide consistency with 

the red/white/blue color-scheme used throughout this report.

3.2.2 DATA ANALYSIS

The supply of dentists and dental hygienists per state population was rank-ordered and separated into equal 

quintiles. The actual high and low ratios of professionals to population in each quintile were then summarized 

for indexing purposes. This permitted the UNC Sheps geographers to develop descriptive choroplethic maps 

in which red is assigned to low values, white to average values, and blue to high values. 

The dataset for dental hygienist permissions was constructed from information available on the permitted 

functions and supervision levels of Registered Dental Hygienists on ADHA’s website, and can be found in 

Appendix B.

3.2.3 MAPPING

Data on supply and distribution of dentists were merged with corresponding county boundaries, and displayed 

by aggregating data into national quintiles. The same information on dental hygienists required an additional 

step, whereby the BLS regions were mapped by using reference data on the BLS site to merge counties to the 

analysis regions. The available data were then merged to those boundaries, and displayed by aggregating data 

into national quintiles. The Mean State Supervision Scores for Cleaning and Prophylaxis by a Dental 

Hygienist data was taken as presented in a choroplethic map (ADHA. 2007). A map was then created using 

the categories of supervision outlined in the Findings section above, because individual state values were not 

available.
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3.3 DISCUSSION

3.3.1 THE ORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE AND APPALACHIA

The ratios of both dentists and dental hygienists to population in the Appalachian Region are substantially 

lower than the national average. Communities in the Appalachian Region may have trouble recruiting enough 

providers for many reasons. Among these, the average new dental graduate in the United States is deeply in 

debt, and rural regions often lack the financial resources and other support systems to competitively recruit 

this new talent. Also, dental hygienists practicing in states in the Appalachian Region are bound by some of 

the most restrictive conditions in the country, limiting their roles and impact.

Incentives for dental professionals to work in the Appalachian Region are important. Speaking at ARC’s 2011 

Annual Conference, Healthy Families, Healthy Future, Julie Watts McKee, DMD, Kentucky State Dental 

Officer, noted that, because in 2006, fewer than half of Kentucky dental graduates remained in Kentucky, that 

state is refocusing its efforts to connect its dental school students with state opportunities (Shepherd, McKee. 

2011). The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provided time-limited funds to increase 

National Health Service Corps loan forgiveness and salary stipends to dental professional who work in 

underserved areas. The Appalachian Region would benefit from an extension of this program. 

The national oral health workforce is largely homogeneous, and there is an urgent need to diversify. Dentists 

who belong to underrepresented racial/ethnic minority groups and female dentists are more likely to serve 

those populations where some of the greatest disparities exist. As the population of the United States changes 

composition, there is a greater need to increase diversity within the dentist workforce. In 2002, the dentist 

workforce was overwhelmingly white, male and middle-aged (Mertz, O'Neil. 2002). Approximately 86 

percent of the dentist workforce was non-Hispanic white (Mertz, O'Neil. 2002; Mitchell, Lassiter. 2006); 

about 80 percent of practicing dentists was between the ages of 35 and 65 (Mertz, O'Neil. 2002); and about 87 

percent of practicing dentists was male (Mertz, O'Neil. 2002). There is evidence that more women are 

entering dental schools (DHHS. 2000; Mertz, O'Neil. 2002); however, dental school enrollments are not 

seeing the same level of increase in racially diverse students (DHHS. 2000), with the exception of an 

increased enrollment of Asian and Pacific Islander students (Haden, et al. 2003). Given the issue of lower 

enrollment of minority students in dental schools (DHHS. 2000; Valachovic. 2002), it may take great effort to 

diversify the dentist workforce.

Diversity in the dentist workforce is even less likely to be found in rural areas (Butters, Winter. 2002). 

Increased diversity in the dentist workforce may address issues related to access to care for the underserved, 

particularly minority patients, because minority dentists are more likely to have minority patients (Haden, et 

al. 2003). Dental school students who are minorities, who are female and who grew up in low income families 

are more likely to be willing to practice in underserved areas (Davidson, et al. 2007), further reinforcing the 

need to increase diversity in dental school enrollment. In an effort to provide adequate care to the underserved 

and to a more diverse population, changes to dental school curriculums have been argued to be necessary to 

include training students to provide culturally appropriate care (Haden, et al. 2003). 

Addressing the supply of specialty dentists in Appalachia will be more difficult. They command higher 

salaries and need a larger population base. In 2009, Appalachia Kentucky had only 19 pediatric dentists 

(Shepherd, McKee. 2011). Programs that rely on specialists to lead non-specialists offer more promise. For 

example, Governor Steve Beshear’s Healthy Smiles Kentucky, an all-out effort to improve dental health of 

Kentucky’s children, particularly in Appalachia, confronts major labor shortages and is currently moving even 

beyond dental hygienists to create public awareness of good oral health hygiene practices through local oral 

health coalitions. There are similar stories from Tioga County, Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center. 
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3.3.2 PRACTICE CONDITIONS FOR DENTAL HYGIENISTS

In many locations, non-dentist professionals are increasing access to preventive dental care. These nondentists include persons trained in expanded practice roles, like hygienists and dental auxiliaries, as well as 

other medical professionals, like pediatricians. Change is occurring slowly and practice conditions for dental 

hygienists in the Appalachian Region, in 2007, were among the most restrictive in the nation. South Carolina, 

a notable exception, ranked among the most permissive in the United States. One other Appalachian state, 

New York, was average. However, more than half of the Appalachian states (seven of thirteen) rated among

the most restrictive. Restrictive practice conditions prevent dental hygienists from independently providing 

services that could increase access to care.

3.3.3 IMPLICATIONS

Economics of supply and demand will work against changing the oral health workforce distribution 

nationally. 

Easing the restrictions on dental hygiene practices in the Appalachian states may help to increase access to 

preventive care and treatment for remote populations in the Appalachian Region. It could also open the door 

for dental hygienists to provide oral hygiene education and make critical referrals to dentists when restorative 

services are necessary. Krause, Mosca and Livingston (2003) suggested that less restrictive environments for 

dental hygienists might alleviate some of the oral health disparities in underserved areas, assuming that tighter 

restrictions may block access to care. If more services can be provided without dentists physically present, 

especially to populations with compromised access, preventive oral health care might be made more 

immediately available in some cases.

The Appalachian Region would also benefit from a policy initiative setting goals for minimum dental care

access for all residents. This necessity would involve workforce goals. Success would be measured in 

generational improvements and would require engagement of training institutions, state licensure boards, the 

insurance industry, dentists, and public health officials, among others. 

Chapters 2 and 5 of this report discuss some promising state-level initiatives. Programs like those in 

Kentucky, West Virginia and Pennsylvania that involve multiple stakeholders: residents, dental providers and 

dental educators, bring changes that cross economic divides and are showing promise for sustained 

improvements in oral health status. 
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CHAPTER 4 ORAL HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE

4.1 FINDINGS

Dental care is not covered by most health insurance plans. With the exception of the Federal Employees 

Health Benefits Plan, similar plans offered to postal workers and children’s Medicaid programs, dental 

coverage generally requires a separate insurance policy. It is not included in Medicare or in the basic military 

TriCare program. Veterans Health Administration (VHA) provides dental care for veterans with serviceconnected disabilities, and time-limited coverage for veterans and reservists who saw active duty in certain 

wars (Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan). 

As a result, children and adults are less likely to have dental insurance than medical insurance (DHHS 

NIDCR. 2000). Two public programs designed to address the lack of insurance, and therefore, improve health 

status for eligible individuals, are Medicaid’s Child Health Insurance Program and State Children‘s Health 

Insurance Program (CHIP, SCHIP). Generally designed for low income persons and families, Medicaid dental 

eligibility is not based strictly on income. Eligibility guidelines are established by each state (CMS. 2009). 

Under the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment Service (EPSDT), minimum dental 

coverage is mandatory for most Medicaid eligible individuals under the age of 21 in all states (CMS. 2009). 

All Medicaid states are required to offer a minimum dental service package: relief of pain and infections, 

restoration of teeth, and maintenance of dental health. Sealants are covered by most Medicaid children’s 

programs. The net result is still very limited coverage. Approximately nine percent of Americans receive 

dental coverage from either Medicaid or SCHIP (DHHS. 2001). In December 2009, two percent of Americans 

were covered by CHIP programs (Kaiser. 2011).

However, insurance coverage alone is not enough to address oral health disparities. A Government 

Accountability Office (GAO) report, from September 2008, indicates that only one in three children enrolled 

in Medicaid received dental care in the prior year. On the positive side, only two Appalachian states, New 

York and Pennsylvania, reported less than 30 percent of eligibles using dental services (CMS. 2009). The 

report noted provider unwillingness to participate and lack of awareness among eligibles as the key barriers.

In 2004, dental care represented only two percent of state Medicaid budgets (Borchgrevink, et al. 2008). 

Dental coverage is optional for Medicaid eligible individuals age 21 or older. Most states provide only 

emergency dental services for eligible adults; a few states provide more comprehensive dental coverage 

(CMS. 2009(a)). SCHIP was established in 1997 to provide insurance coverage to uninsured children up to 

age 19 who did not qualify for Medicaid, but states control the benefits plans and both eligibility and 

coverage vary among the states (CMS. 2009(b)).

In the United States, the number one chronic disease among children is dental caries. Thus, programs such as 

Medicaid and SCHIP are correct in their intention to help reduce oral health disparities (CMS. 2009). 

However, these programs have restrictions that limit their potential to improve oral health status. After the 

narrow scope of services covered, a primary limitation is dentist participation in Medicaid. Private dentist 

participation in Medicaid is a challenge. In 2005, among the reporting states, dentist participation in Medicaid 

ranged from a low of zero to a high of 44 percent in states in the Appalachian Region (Association of State 

and Territorial Dental Directors. 2008). Medicaid payment is usually low, and Medicaid beneficiaries are 

more prone to cancel or be late for appointments.
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National Academy of State Health Policy Comments on Harvard Study:

Dental problems may represent the biggest unmet health care need among adults as well, as reported by Pew 

Center on the States and the National Academy of State Health Policy by two Harvard researchers in their 

book, Uninsured in America. “[Researchers] talked to as many kinds of people as they could find, collecting 

stories of untreated depression and struggling single mothers and chronically injured laborers—and the most 

common complaint they heard was about teeth. People without health insurance have bad teeth because, if 

you’re paying for everything out of your own pocket, going to the dentist for a checkup seems like a luxury. It 

isn’t, of course.”

The use of dental care rises by income: while 56 percent of adults from a high-income family had at least one 

dental visit during the year, only 27 percent of adults from low-income families had at least one dental visit 

during the year.

Two key underlying factors give rise to these unmet needs: the relatively low level of public financing to 

subsidize payments for care and the lack of an adequate safety net system for the roughly one-third of the 

population not served by the private dental care system. While poor children are guaranteed dental coverage 

through Medicaid, states are not required to provide dental benefits for adults also covered by Medicaid. 

As state budgets wax and wane, this leads to on-again, off-again dental coverage for the adult population.

Only 16 states provide dental coverage in all service categories for adult Medicaid enrollees. Additional 16 

states offer coverage for emergency services only, and six states offer no dental coverage at all. In tighter 

fiscal climates, states often opt to limit or eliminate adult dental benefits. In addition, the number of adults 

and families with private dental insurance, dependent as it is on employment, rises and falls with the health of 

the economy. When times are tough, optional benefits such as dental care are among the first to be cut by 

employers. As the costs of health benefits have risen, costs may be passed on to employees, who may opt out 

of coverage. Of those who work in private industry, only 46 percent have access to dental coverage, with only 

36 percent choosing to participate.

Of those who work in state and local government, 55 percent have access to coverage, while only 47 percent 

choose to participate.

To make matters worse, Medicare does not include dental benefits, so the over-65 population must purchase 

insurance individual market policies, pay out of pocket or forego care. Some individuals with private dental 

coverage must carry high deductibles and co-payments and low annual benefit caps. For example, the median 

national charge in 2005 for a root canal and a basic crown on a bicuspid tooth was $1,326. Kansas state 

employees would have a co-payment of $485.

Source: Help Wanted, A Policy Maker’s Guide to New Dental Health Providers. The Pew Center for States, 

National Center for State Health Policy, WK Kellogg, Washington DC, 2009

http://www.nashp.org/sites/default/files/Dental_Report_final_Low%20Res.pdf
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Dentists limit participation in Medicaid for multiple reasons. Low reimbursement rates and administrative 

challenges are starters (DHHS. 2000; Fisher, Mascarenhas. 2007; GAO. 2008; Guay. 2004). Limited dentist 

participation in Medicaid was also associated with low dental utilization by Medicaid-eligible patients. 

Simply having access to a dentist may not be sufficient to improve dental service utilization in a depressed 

area such as the Appalachian Region (Fisher, Mascarenhas. 2007; GAO. 2008). Other barriers include lack of 

information, failure of Medicaid beneficiaries to make scheduled appointments, limited supply of dentists and 

restrictions on services that can be provided by non-dentists.

Medicaid, SCHIP, and private dental insurance are the only third-party payers for dental care. Data for all of 

these are limited to state summaries collected by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). Insurance eligibility 

can change from month to month, depending on a person’s income status and employment status. Few nongovernmental employers offer dental insurance. 

4.2 METHODOLOGY

4.2.1 DATA SOURCES

The BRFSS contains no survey questions related to dental insurance coverage, so comparison data on this 

topic is, at best, restricted to special studies and state level summaries. To compensate, we explored literature 

studies supported by the Pew Charitable Trust, the National Academy of State Policy and KFF and the GAO. 

Even these were limited to samples based on review of a limited number of states and a fixed time frame. The 

most complete pictures were provided by the National Academy of State Policy. 

4.2.2 DATA ANALYSIS

Because data were so limited, we elected to report only conclusions from the literature search. Any data 

analysis for the Appalachian Region would rely on samples too limited for conclusive results. 

4.3 DISCUSSION

Historical separation of oral health from physical health is now memorialized in employer and government 

provided health insurance programs. The resultant isolation of dental coverage to an add-on policy, at a time 

when the costs of dental care are increasing, has moved oral health to a near luxury status. Low income 

populations are more likely to have a lifetime without dental care. Widespread solution to this national 

problem may not emerge until health reform initiatives better reflect the true root causes of community health 

status. Even then, change may require national dialogue on population costs and evidence based interventions.
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CHAPTER 5 BEST PRACTICES IN ORAL HEALTH POLICIES

5.1 FINDINGS

5.1.1 POLICY LEVEL BEST PRACTICES

A research team from University of Mississippi attempted to identify sustainable programs and policies with 

effective results that have been, or could be, adopted in the Appalachian Region. PDA and UNC Sheps Center 

staff expanded on that work with additional research. Together, the efforts identified best practices from four 

sources: 1) professional literature, 2) the 2011 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report on best practices in oral health, 

3) anecdotal reports of professionals selected to participate in the Appalachian Regional Commission 2011 

Annual Conference, Healthy Families, Healthy Future, and 4) a limited survey of Appalachian health 

professionals conducted by Krause, et al. from University of Mississippi Medical Center (2010). Few of these

practices have been subjected to professional peer review, but there is some consensus among the sources.

Health care research literature defines as best practices: any activity or process that is consistent with improving 

health promotion (Kahan and Goodstadt. 1999). Generally speaking, measures of clinical practice guidelines, 

health technology assessment and/or evidence-based medicine are used to assess best practices (Perleth, 

Jakubowski, Busse. 2001). In a recent CDC publication, Roeber and his colleagues argue that “a more common 

approach is the use of multiple sources of expertise to identify best practices in population-based health 

interventions” (2004:71). Previous studies have argued for the use of qualitative data to establish best practices 

related to health care. Sofaer (2002) argued that the application of qualitative methods may allow for an 

improved assessment of existing programs and policies. Leys (2003) argued that qualitative research is quite 

valuable in the assessment of health care programs and policies, particularly when the research evaluates 

perceptions of a program or practice.

To achieve sustained, affordable improvement in oral health, prevention returns the highest value for public 

investment.

• At the community level, fluoridation and culturally appropriate communication regarding what 

constitutes good oral hygiene practices were preferred.

• When direct care investments occur, most sources concurred that children should be the focus, with 

programs ranging from school-based screenings and education; sealants for children under six; 

education of new parents; and encouragement of expanded practice functions for dental assistants and 

dental hygienists.

• Sources surveyed provided little discussion of the results of programs that develop dietary and 

nutritional awareness of the role of vitamin D, calcium, and critical trace minerals play in good oral 

health; yet, dental professionals interviewed by PDA were quick to list these as recommended

primary investments when budget is limited. 

Supported by funding from HRSA, the IOM convened a national task force on oral health of underserved 

populations and released its first report in summer 2011. The report made several very specific 

recommendations with regard to vulnerable and underserved populations. It focused on two concerns: 

• Six percent of the nation’s children did not receive needed dental care because their families could not 

afford it, and

• The other parts of the population who do not get annual dental care face supply and affordability 

barriers. This group represents 25 percent, and more of the population in some states. 
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Reflecting the special interests of the report’s funding source, the Health Resources and Services Administration 

(HRSA), many of its recommendations are focused on HRSA-funded programs. The report did not address the 

financial impact of recommendations.

Key recommendations include: 

• Policy initiatives

o Support state legislative efforts to amend laws to maximize access to oral health care. 

o State policy should focus on allowing professionals to practice to the full extent of their 

education and training in a variety of settings. 

• Workforce initiatives

o Train diverse populations in diverse communities. 

o Shift oral health provision beyond dentists to dental hygienists and dental assistants.

o Develop a new profession (Dental Therapist), and delegate more oral health responsibilities to 

physicians. 

o Encourage development of new dental schools to train dentists closer to underserved 

populations. 

o Develop interdisciplinary teams that incorporate oral health in total health. 

• Direct Care 

o Expand oral health services in public clinics and other non-traditional settings, like Federally 

Qualified Health Centers.

o Contract with private dentists to care for low-income uninsured persons.

o Develop dental school residency clinics in underserved areas.

o Encourage school, health department and mobile dental clinics.

o Use hospital emergency departments as sentinel sites for monitoring demand for emergency 

dental care.

• New Financing Mechanisms

o Enhance Medicaid rates for dental care / physicians for oral health services.

o Implement Medicaid payment to primary care providers for application of fluoride varnish on 

children. 

5.1.2 APPALACHIAN INITIATIVES

SURVEY

Using direct interviews of 31 stakeholders in the 13 Appalachian states, a team of University of Mississippi 

researchers identified oral health initiatives underway in the region in 2009. They collapsed 134 different 

programs into eight themes by using a meticulous coding system that was blind checked by a second team. 

Detailed analyses of their interviews, coding and results are contained in Appendix F. 

Figure 17 shows the eight intervention themes by frequency of mention. The low frequency for fluoridation

suggests that the stakeholders interviewed may not have been personally involved in their state’s fluoridation 

program, because most Appalachian states have a fluoridation program. 
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FIGURE 17 – ORAL HEALTH INITIATIVES AREAS BY FREQUENCY OF MENTION IN APPALACHIAN STATES, 2009

Source: Appendix F

Interviewees were asked three questions about each program: 1) how long has the program been in effect;

2) how effective would you rate it on a 5-step scale ranging from Extremely Effective to Not Effective; and 

3) how many people does the program reach? Figures 18, 19 and 20 summarize the responses of the 

interviewees.

FIGURE 18 – DURATION OF APPALACHIAN STATE ORAL HEALTH PROGRAMS
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School-based sealant programs are included in the preventive programs. The eight reports of this program all 

rated 100 percent effective.

FIGURE 19 – EFFECTIVENESS OF STATE PROGRAMS IN APPALACHIA

Source: Appendix F. 

FIGURE 20 – REACH OF APPALACHIAN STATE ORAL HEALTH PROGRAMS
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Access to care seems to be one of the key challenges addressed by these programs and policies. This is not 

surprising given the distinctive geographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the Region as related to health 

care (Behringer, et al. 2007). Others agree. Access to care is deemed a barrier to improving oral health care by 

the United States Surgeon General (DHHS. 2000; Haden, et al. 2003). Many practices included in the sample 

seek creative ways to increase access to oral health care. For example, in areas with fewer dentists, allow 

primary care physicians to perform basic preventive services. At least four of the ARC states —Alabama, North 

Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia— have such programs in place for young children who are more likely to 

visit a primary care physician than a dentist. Furthermore, primary care physicians in some states may be 

reimbursed by Medicaid for providing these services. The use of mobile clinics may also provide basic access as 

well as assist patients in finding dental homes. At least one ARC state, North Carolina, considered this an 

effective practice; however, such a program often relies on volunteers and may, therefore, not be feasible. Lack 

of follow up is another problem with mobile screening clinics.

Preventive services mentioned in this study primarily focus on children. These services include dental sealants, 

dental screenings, and fluoride applications. Most, if not all, of these services are offered in some manner in the 

ARC states. Many of these services are administered at schools or by pediatricians in an effort to not only 

improve oral health, but to educate children about the importance of proper oral hygiene. Dye, et al. (2007)

found that dental sealant prevalence among children age 6 to 11 has increased in recent years. Policies regarding 

dental screenings vary around the nation, yet many states require some sort of dental certificate prior to 

admittance into school (Booth, et al. 2008). Three states in the Appalachian Region —Georgia, Kentucky and 

New York— have the requirement (Booth, et al. 2008). 

Oral health education and advocacy was somewhat linked to both access to care and preventive services in 

this analysis. Many of the practices categorized as educational aimed to teach patients about the importance of 

oral health care. Persons with the greatest need also seem to lack knowledge about its importance (Haden, et 

al. 2003). Thus, it is not unexpected that many state oral health practices seek to educate the population about 

oral health. 

Efforts to maximize and continually educate the dental workforce are crucial in socioeconomically challenged 

areas like the Appalachian Region. Practices that encourage recent dental school graduates to work in rural areas 

at least one year, in exchange for tuition, make a small contribution to care in underserved areas. Haden, et al. 

(2003) argue that dental schools should support recent graduates who provide at least one year of service in 

underserved areas. The goal is both to increase access to care and have dentists acquire knowledge about 

providing culturally appropriate care. Other health care workers, such as primary care providers, if properly 

trained, can provide basic dental services geared toward prevention (Selwitz, Ismail and Pitts. 2007). Moreover, 

as discussed in Chapter 4, practice restrictions placed on dental hygienists vary by state (BHP. 2004). Reducing 

the restrictions on the level of supervision for dental hygienists is potentially beneficial for improving access to 

care in underserved areas (Krause, Mosca and Livingston. 2003). Few practices identified seek to diversify the 

dental workforce; however, that issue may be better addressed by dental schools in the recruitment of students.

Practices to improve adult oral health are critical, as well. Medicaid coverage for dental services for adults 

varies by state and is often quite limited (Ellis, et al. 2009). Adults are more likely to have medical insurance 

than dental insurance (DHHS. 2000). Therefore, some programs and policies have been implemented in ARC 

states such as Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, 

Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, in order to provide some basic preventive dental services to uninsured 

adults or insured adults unable to afford costs associated with dental visits. Because the risk of dental caries 

continues throughout the lifespan, it is critical for adults to receive preventive dental care. Adults over the age of 

40, who use tobacco, are at a greater risk of oral cancer (Selwitz, et al. 2007); this makes adult dental care 

important in oral cancer detection.
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Medicaid programs and policies mentioned in the survey seek to increase the number of dental Medicaid 

providers, increase Medicaid reimbursement, or reduce the amount of paperwork necessary for providers to 

be reimbursed. These respond to concerns that children enrolled in Medicaid are more likely to have dental 

caries and untreated tooth decay compared to children enrolled in private insurance (GAO. 2008). Savage, et 

al. (2004) found evidence that children with Medicaid coverage in areas with lower dentist-to-population 

ratios were less likely to use dental services. Fewer dentists in an area could mean that even fewer dentists 

participate in Medicaid reimbursement. Thus, initiatives to increase the number of Medicaid providers seem 

warranted. About one-third of the practices included in the sample relating to Medicaid initiatives have been 

implemented within the last five years, possibly a response to findings from a 2000 survey administered by 

the American Dental Association, in which about 75 percent of dentists did not treat patients insured by 

Medicaid (Haden, et al. 2003). 

Water fluoridation is one relatively inexpensive practice believed to benefit the population (Bailey, et al. 

2008; Griffin, Jones and Tomar. 2001; Kohlway. 2008). Not only is community water fluoridation perceived 

as inexpensive for communities, but it is also perceived as a long term cost-saving mechanism by preventing 

future expenses related to tooth decay (Kohlway. 2008). However, as of 2006, the CDC reported that only 69

percent of the population had access to a fluoridated community water system (Bailey, et al. 2008). Given that 

the rate of water fluoridation varies from state to state, and from county to county in some states, it may be 

helpful to continue to move forward for those areas that lack community water fluoridation. While water 

fluoridation has its proponents, it also has its opponents; so, education regarding the benefits of water 

fluoridation may need to be continually addressed in some states (Kohlway. 2008). 

Practices related to tobacco initiatives were the only theme not mentioned by at least one stakeholder in each 

of the 13 Appalachian states. Given the significant relationship between tobacco use and dental caries, oral 

cancer, and other oral diseases (Winn. 2001), this is somewhat surprising. However, it is possible that there 

are programs in place in the Appalachian states, but the programs are not specifically oral health initiatives.

The survey methodology for the study was not robust enough to quantify the effectiveness of these programs

in the Appalachian Region. With the exception of West Virginia (in which all counties are included in the 

Appalachian Region), this methodology did not uncover to what extent practices were designed solely to 

improve the oral health of the residents of the Appalachian Region. 

FOUNDATION SUPPORTED INITIATIVES

Throughout the Appalachian Region, private philanthropic foundations have supported grant-funded oral health 

initiatives that have made a difference. Unfortunately, these local initiatives often terminate when grant funding 

ends. Responding to the dilemma, states and foundations have shifted their focus to sustainable policy changes:

• The W.K. Kellogg Foundation is sponsoring a project to increase roles of dental therapists in five 

states, including Ohio. 

• Ohio also focused state funds on sealants for children in low-income neighborhood schools, 

reaching 30,000 children in 2008 (Pew. 2010).

• Two new dental schools are opening in underserved areas in Appalachian states, East Carolina 

University in North Carolina and the University of West Virginia Rural Dentist Project. 

• The DentaQuest Foundation and the Washington Dental Service Foundation are supporting a 

national multidisciplinary collaborative to train primary care providers in ways to protect and 

promote oral health. The project, National Interprofessional Initiative on Oral Health, engages 

professional associations, medical school residencies and other training programs to develop a 

common curriculum around oral health issues, especially for children (NIOH. 2011). 
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In four years, West Virginia 

moved from a score of “F” to 

“A” on child oral health. 

Muto, 2011

• Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear committed to an expanded Kentucky Children’s Health 

Insurance Program (KCHIP) and a community partnership to improve the oral health of Kentucky 

children, particularly in Appalachia. In September 2011, the Kids’ Health program provides 

screening, sealants and direct care, and engages families in maintaining children’s oral health. The 

program targets families with incomes below 200 percent poverty level and uses a case manager 

approach to keep families involved. Healthy Smiles Kentucky is jointly funded by the state and 

ARC and works through the Department of Public Health. It targets particularly Appalachian 

communities. It also trains local dentists in ways to care for children, supports community oral 

health coalitions and has a school health component (McKee. 2011).

• West Virginia Marshall University Area Health Education Center, with help from ARC and the 

Benedum Foundation, developed small grants to community partnerships that work with local 

dentists and the dental society to establish dental homes. In 2011, the program was operating in 24 

of the 55 counties, providing school education, dental screening and sealants to children. This 

program raised West Virginia’s score on the Pew Child Oral Health scorecard from “F” to “A” in 

the course of five years. A common reporting system lets the 

program give feedback to participating communities. The 

program is moving from direct care to a full statewide plan and 

development of the expanded dental provider workforce. With 

sustainability as the goal, West Virginia is engaging funds from 

a tobacco tax to support the program (Muto. 2011). 

5.1.3 NATIONAL INITIATIVES

The United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is investing in oral health program 

plans and workforce development. 

• Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is providing funds to 19 states to develop state oral health plans. 

Grantees include four Appalachian states: Georgia, Maryland, New York and South Carolina. In 

2011, three Appalachian states had no oral health plans: Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee.

• On a temporary basis, Health Resource Services Administration (HRSA) Behavioral Health 

Planning Council / Bureau of Clinician Recruitment Service National Health Service Corps 

expanded slots for dentists and dental hygienists in Appalachian states. However, this temporary 

stimulus funding ended in April 2011.

The Pew Charitable Foundation developed a state scorecard to encourage states to improve oral health of 

high-risk children. The Pew Child Oral Health Initiative, a multi-year initiative, grades states on eight 

policy indicators (Pew. 2010). 

• Have sealant programs in at least 25 percent of high risk schools. 

• Allow a hygienist to place sealants in a school-based program without requiring a dentist’s exam. 

• Provide optimally fluoridated water to at least 75 percent of residents who are served by public 

systems. 

• Meet or exceed the 2007 national average, 38 percent, of Medicaid-enrolled children ages 1 to 18 

receiving dental services. 

• Pay dentists who serve Medicaid-enrolled children at least the 2008 national average (60.5 percent) 

of median retail fees. 
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• Reimburse medical care providers through state Medicaid program for preventive dental health 

services. 

• Authorize a new type of primary care dental provider. 

• Submit basic screening data to the national database that tracks oral health conditions. 

On the 2010 Pew scorecard, Appalachian states ranked from best to worst. Maryland had the top score in the 

country. South Carolina also scored an “A”. Most states had improved from the initial score. West Virginia

had moved from “F” to “C”, and recently reported an “A.” (Muto. 2011). Work remains —in the Appalachian 

states, 46 percent received a “C” compared with only 27 percent nationwide. 

FIGURE 21 - PEW CHILDREN’S DENTAL HEALTH REPORT CARD 2010

Appalachian State Grade Number of Benchmarks Met

(of 8 possible)

Maryland A 7

South Carolina A 6

Ohio B 5

New York B 5

Georgia B 5

West Virginia C 4

Virginia C 4

Tennessee C 4

Mississippi C 4

Kentucky C 4

Alabama C 4

Pennsylvania D 3

North Carolina D 3

Source: Pew. 2010.

Note that in 2011, West Virginia reported moving up to “A” on the Report Card.

Responses from 31 policy makers, who represented all Appalachian states, focused on seven areas they 

considered effective in addressing access to oral health care and improvement in oral health status. 

• Access is important in areas with fewer dentists. Allowing primary care physicians to perform basic 

preventive services is one such mechanism to increase access. Mobile clinics may also provide 

basic access, as well as assist patients in finding dental homes.

• Preventive Services mentioned in this study primarily focus on children and include dental sealants, 

dental screenings, and fluoride applications. Most, if not all, of these services are offered in some 

manner in the Appalachian states. 

• Oral Health Education and Advocacy are somewhat linked to both access to care and preventive 

services in this analysis, as many of the practices categorized as such also aimed to teach patients 

about the importance of oral health care. 
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• Dental Workforce Education practices that encourage recent dental school graduates to work in 

rural areas and that ease restrictions on scope of practice for dental hygienists improve access in 

underserved areas.

• Adult Oral Health Care services and coverage vary by state, but are quite limited. Some programs 

and policies implemented in many Appalachian states provide some basic preventive dental 

services to uninsured and underinsured adults.

• Medicaid Initiatives seek to increase the number of Medicaid providers, by enhancing Medicaid 

reimbursement or reducing the amount of paperwork necessary for providers to be reimbursed. 

• Water Fluoridation remains an attractive means to improve a population’s oral health and is 

relatively inexpensive. It also varies a great deal across Appalachia.

• Tobacco Initiatives were mentioned by a single stakeholder. Given the significant relationships 

between tobacco use and dental caries, oral cancer, and other oral diseases (Winn. 2001), this is 

somewhat surprising.

Details of the interviews are in Appendix F. 

5.2 METHODOLOGY

5.2.1 DATA SOURCES

Information in this Section was drawn from presentations at the ARC 2011 Annual Conference, from national 

reports, website searches, and from a direct interview survey conducted by University of Mississippi research 

team in 2009, and contained in Appendix F, and from referenced published reports. 

University of Mississippi researchers supplemented data provided by the Association of State and Territorial 

Dental Directors (ASTDD) by briefly interviewing stakeholders in each Appalachian state. Stakeholders 

included, but were not limited to, a representative from each state’s oral health division; a representative from 

each state’s dental association; and a representative from each state’s Medicaid Dental Division. Contact 

information for these stakeholders was obtained from an internet search of websites such as the ASTDD’s 

website (http://www.astdd.org), each state’s dental association website, and each state’s Medicaid website. 

Stakeholders were interviewed by telephone or email. The interview was tested and approved by the 

Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects in Research at Mississippi State University 

prior to its implementation.

Overall, 31 individuals agreed to the interview for a response rate of 79 percent. 

The primary interview question was “What programs or practice policies are in place in your state related to 

oral health?” This was followed by a brief explanation of what types of programs and policies we were 

interested in for this project, namely fluoridation, screening, sealants, smoking or community oral health 

initiatives of which the stakeholder had some knowledge. Respondents were asked to provide the name of the 

program and a brief program description. 
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Three additional questions were asked regarding each practice mentioned by stakeholders. 

1. “How long has this practice been in place?” Responses fell into one of four categories: more than 5 

years; between 1 and 5 years; less than 1 year; or still being implemented.

2. “How effective would you say this program/policy is?” Responses were scored on a 5-point scale: 

extremely effective, very effective, effective, somewhat effective, or not effective at all.

3. “How many people would you say benefit by this program/policy?” Respondents were asked to 

categorize responses into one of five categories: 1-100; 101-1,000; 1,001-9,999; 10,000 or more; or 

there is no benefit. 

Surveys identified 134 programs and policies related to oral health. Each was coded according to the themes, 

and scored for effectiveness. Population-based initiatives were favored over those involving direct service.

Categorizing into themes was not necessarily mutually exclusive; some programs and policies addressed more 

than one area. A code book was created to assist coding of cases into the various themes.

Two methods were used to insure the reliability of the coding. The first method involved a test-retest format, 

in which all cases were coded by a single individual. Two weeks after the initial coding, the same individual 

re-coded all cases. A comparison of each set of coding was conducted, and a reliability score of 

approximately 92 percent was achieved. The second method used to determine the reliability of the coding 

involved a random sampling of 10 percent of the cases. A second individual was asked to code these 

randomly selected cases, and a reliability score of 91 percent was achieved. Given the two reliability scores, it 

was determined that the coding was largely consistent. 

5.3 DISCUSSION

In the Appalachian Region, policy makers face the daunting challenge of limited knowledge base, low income 

and workforce shortages. Policy makers found programs that focused on community health or direct care

more effective than ones focused on general prevention or work force. Unfortunately, the survey did not 

provide opportunities to probe reasons for low effectiveness ratings. Both reducing workforce shortages and 

causing behavior changes in oral health practices are critical to improved oral health in the Appalachian 

Region. Further exploration of obstacles and opportunities in both areas should be encouraged. Both issues 

are complex and progress will require engagement of oral health professionals and experts in behavioral 

change.

States and foundations have naturally gravitated to programs aimed at stabilizing children’s oral health, 

building on families’ desire to give their children good foundations. Even then, most states are working on 

low cost interventions, expansion of roles of non-dentists, engagement of local practicing dentists and 

scorecards with feedback. The scorecards appear to be effective in drawing comparative attention to oral 

health disparities in the Appalachian Region. In the case of West Virginia, a low scorecard motivated 

significant program improvement. 

Going forward, investments in children should improve educational performance and build foundations for a 

productive workforce. States like Maryland, South Carolina, West Virginia and Kentucky are pace setters for 

children’s oral health in the Appalachian Region. 
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CHAPTER 6 SUMMARY FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

6.1 CONCLUSIONS AND FINDINGS

Oral health in the Appalachian Region is closely tied to the region’s economic status. Following national 

trends, Appalachian communities with low economic status are more likely to have shortages of dental health 

providers. This affects everyone in the community. Dentists in these areas are at risk of higher case loads and

a higher proportion of low-income or non-paying patients. 

Nationwide, the number of dentists in general practice is inadequate to meet the population’s need for care. 

The Appalachian Region has 36 percent fewer dentists per 100,000 population than the United States average. 

Retention of dentists in underserved areas is made difficult by low pay and high workloads. Recent state 

licensure board movements to increase scope of practice for non-dentist assistants and licensed dental 

hygienists offer hope for increased care access, but even an increase in work force cannot overcome the 

financial barriers associated with high dental care costs and low insurance coverage.

Medicaid and government employee programs are the only predictable sources of dental insurance benefits. 

Private insurers offer dental as an optional, additional policy but the coverage is often excluded from 

employer-provided benefits. 

Oral health remains the primary health issue for children, and a major issue for adults. Oral health and 

physical health are directly associated with one another, and dental pain has been associated with poor school 

performance and low workplace productivity. Use of services nationally is directly associated with insurance 

coverage. Fluoridation of public water supplies can help strengthen community teeth, but not all of the 

population is served by public water sources. More rural populations are less likely to have community water.

Data on dental health services and dental health insurance coverage are limited to national interview surveys. 

Sampling frames are too small to support county or sub-regional analyses. Behavioral Risk Factor 

Surveillance System (BRFSS) samples are too small and too inconsistent for even an Appalachian Regionwide analysis.

Most of the data on oral health status is collected by probability sampled telephone interviews. Appalachian 

households without telephones have plagued research efforts for decades. The new phenomenon of 

eliminating land lines in favor of cell phones, many of which have temporary numbers, will present even 

more challenges to inferences drawn from these surveys.

6.2 IMPLICATIONS

Poor oral health will likely remain a problem throughout the United States, particularly in low income and 

rural areas. Consequently, the best public investments will be those aimed at coupling public awareness of 

good oral hygiene practices with well-being. Because oral health problems surface early in children, oral 

hygiene practices that begin in infancy and are reinforced at the family and community level are important. 

Investments in fluoridation can offset some but not all failures of oral hygiene. 
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Health reform resulting from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 will expand state 

Medicaid program enrollment and increase state costs for the basic benefit packages (Lane, 2011). In this 

environment, there is little likelihood that states will be able to consider expanding benefits to increase dental 

coverage in the absence of other cost saving initiatives. Most of the new enrollees will be adults with low 

incomes, who are likely to have many years of accumulated dental care needs.

6.3 RECOMMENDATIONS

In order to monitor success of any initiatives, the Appalachian Regional Commission needs baseline 

information. ARC should issue a formal request to CDC to modify the BRFSS sampling procedure to develop a 

sample frame and consistent questions to provide year to year information about the Appalachian Region, and its 

sub-regions. A larger sample and consistent questions would provide independent feedback on the impact of 

state, federal and private initiatives to address oral health disparities in the Appalachian Region. This may take 

significant time to negotiate, because CDC relies on states to share funding for BRFSS surveys and permits each 

state to select or change the questions asked.

A systematic study of the economic costs of poor oral health might be helpful to policy makers who are 

considering ways to stabilize this important component of good community health. In the interim shared studies 

and anecdotes will be the primary sources of information for oral health improvement.

Similarly, collaboration among the ARC, Appalachian states, the Appalachian charitable foundations and the 

National Academy of State Health Policy to regularly support and convene the groups working on this important 

issue will help all of the investors to focus their limited resources on oral health investments, in the Appalachian 

Region, that are most likely to improve school performance and improve worker productivity. Particularly in the 

areas of non-dentist workforce deployment and engagement of the dental workforce that has committed to work 

and invest in the Appalachian Region, such collaborative effort may surface new ways to engage total 

communities in good oral hygiene. The task is too large for investments that focus on limited sectors.

ARC should work with Health Resource Services Administration and the National Health Service Corps to set 

specific goals for placing loan forgiveness and subsidized professionals with dental professionals who are 

committed to the Appalachian Region. These initiatives should occur with careful consideration to their impact 

on sustainability of these existing practices. ARC should build on the communications started at the Healthy 

Families, Healthy Future conference to provide a support network to the individuals and groups who are 

working with expanded practice for non-dentists.

Local initiatives focused on preventive interventions have made significant contributions. However, most

require grant subsidies to be sustained. The grant program grantees should be supported in continued dialogue, 

to identify their common threads of sustainable initiatives.
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6.4 AREAS FOR FURTHER STUDY

An Appalachian Region-wide study of oral health hygiene literacy and cultural practices that support or 

challenge it would help move from anecdotal information to evidence-based guidance for health investments. 

Similar benefits could accrue from careful study and documentation of the impact of communications 

campaigns similar to Kentucky’s Healthy Smiles and Mississippi’s community wide oral health programs. To 

assist with outcome measurement, CDC should be asked to tailor BRFSS sampling frames to produce annual 

survey information that can be attributed to the five Appalachian sub-regions: North, South, North Central, 

Central and South Central, and to the five rural-urban county types.
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APPENDICES

Appendices A through C, and Appendices E through G were prepared, in 2010, by a research team associated 

with the University of Mississippi Medical Center, under contract CO-16034-2008 to the Appalachian 

Regional Commission. 

APPENDIX A: METROPOLITAN AND NON-METROPOLITAN AREAS IN APPALACHIA............................................... 75

APPENDIX B: PERMITTED FUNCTIONS AND SUPERVISION LEVELS BY STATE REGISTERED DENTAL 

HYGIENISTS ..................................................................................................................................... 77

APPENDIX C: STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND ORAL HEALTH INDICATORS................... 79

APPENDIX D: DENTAL VISITS IN THE PAST YEAR, BY SELECTED CHARACTERISTICS: UNITED STATES, 

SELECTED YEARS 1997-2009........................................................................................................... 105

APPENDIX E: DHPPI BY STATE............................................................................................................................. 107

APPENDIX F: BEST PRACTICES IN STATE ORAL HEALTH POLICIES ........................................................................ 109

APPENDIX G: DENTAL WORKFORCE TRENDS IN APPALACHIA ............................................................................. 127
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Appendix A

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APPENDIX A: METROPOLITAN AND NON-METROPOLITAN AREAS IN APPALACHIA

FIGURE 22 - METROPOLITAN AND NON-METROPOLITAN AREAS, APPALACHIAN REGION
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Appendix B

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APPENDIX B: PERMITTED FUNCTIONS AND SUPERVISION LEVELS BY STATE 

REGISTERED DENTAL HYGIENISTS

FIGURE 23- DENTAL HYGIENE PRACTICE ACT OVERVIEW
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Appendix C

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APPENDIX C: STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND ORAL 

HEALTH INDICATORS

DATA AND METHODS

Four of the socioeconomic variables used for this study came from the 2007 Area Resource File (ARF). The 

ARF is maintained by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services (HRSA. 2006). It provides national county-level health resource information. The four 

indicators of socioeconomic status obtained from the ARF for this study included unemployment, percent 

urban population median household Income and percent of adults living in poverty. Because the ARF does 

not contain the most up-to-date information for some variables, a fifth indicator of socioeconomic status—

percent of persons without health insurance—was downloaded from the Small Area Health Insurance 

Estimates (SAHIE) at www.census.gov/did/www/sahie. The SAHIE are prepared by the Census Bureau to 

provide state- and county-level estimates of health insurance coverage (Fisher and Turner 2003). These 

indicators provide an examination of county-level differences within the Appalachian Region. 

The complete Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) dataset for 1999-2006 contains 

2,085,241 individual records based on yearly probability samples aimed at estimating prevalence of health 

indicators and health behaviors for all 50 states. Of these, 543,204 individuals from the Appalachian Region 

in the 13 states responded to the survey. Four oral health indicators were obtained from the BRFSS datasets: 

dental visits within one year, any tooth removal for ages 35 to 44, six or more teeth removed for ages 35 to 

44, and all teeth missing for ages 65 and older. The socioeconomic status indicators for the Appalachian 

Region consisted of data collected over several years; however, the oral health indicators are not collected 

each year in every state. The prevalence estimates for dental visits within one year are based on all who 

responded that their most recent visit to a dentist or dental clinic was in the past 12 months; however, agespecific estimates of prevalence of health indicators/behaviors for the remaining three variables are based on 

respondents within each specified age categorization. Table 10 lists the number of respondents to each oral 

health/behavior question per year in the Appalachian Region. 

TABLE 10 – SAMPLE SIZES FOR ORAL HEALTH BEHAVIOR INDICATORS, BRFSS, 1999-2006

Oral Health Indicator

Year Visit < 1 

year

Tooth Removal

(35-44) (65+)

1999 40,898 8,919 7,864

2000 9,766 2,268 1,578

2001 15,599 3,306 2,901

2002 67,931 13,747 14,273

2003 23,965 4,840 4,660

2004 79,227 14,771 18,082

2005 9,511 1,638 2,293

2006 95,441 16,614 25,230

Total 342,338 65,614 76,881

Source: CDC BRFSS survey database. Note sum of (35-44) should be 

65,614. 
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METHODS

Oral health indicators were obtained from the BRFSS survey, which is an extensive, continuous telephone 

health survey used for monitoring health conditions and health-risk behaviors across the entire United States, 

the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. The survey is designed to estimate 

state-level information on health behaviors and disease prevalence through the use of a probability sample 

accomplished through a random selection of telephone numbers. For this study, we were interested in 

estimating oral health status in much smaller geographic regions. The CDC supplies county of residence for 

individuals as the smallest available geographic region for the BRFSS. Because population and 

socioeconomic data are available from the U.S. Census for individual counties, counties would be the ideal 

basic geographic unit to use for this study. The BRFSS survey was not intended to be used for county level 

analysis, but in recent years researchers and statisticians have harnessed its wealth of information to do just 

that.

Because of the length and expense of the questionnaire, some modules are optional, and are not asked every 

year in every state. It is left up to the discretion of individual states. Unfortunately, the oral health module is 

typically an optional module made up of only three oral health questions. The CDC suggests that estimates 

based on fewer than 50 individual observations are not reliable and should not be used. This makes it difficult 

to gain enough responses per county to be usable. In order to obtain large enough sample sizes for the oral 

health questions, data were merged from several years of BRFSS survey data (1999-2006). Even after 

merging several years of survey data, there were still many counties that did not have sufficient sample sizes 

to be included in this study.

In order to aggregate up to larger, but analyzable geographic areas, we chose to use four geographic regions 

within each state for those states that contain an Appalachian Region as part of their territory. Within each of 

the 13 states, counties were coded as either belonging to the Appalachian Region or not. In addition, Beale 

codes, obtained from the Census Bureau, were used to classify counties as metropolitan or non-metropolitan 

areas. Thus, our four geographic regions within each state that are of interest are: metropolitan/Appalachian, 

metropolitan/non-Appalachian, non-metropolitan/Appalachian, and non-metropolitan/non-Appalachian. 

Note that West Virginia is entirely within the Appalachian Region. In addition, Ohio does not report county 

identifiers for smaller rural counties, so it is not possible to separately estimate the Appalachian and nonAppalachian regions for non-metropolitan areas in that state. Therefore, there are a total of eleven states that 

provide estimates of all four defined regions, one state (WV) that provides estimates for only two regions 

(metro/non-metro), and one state (OH) that provides estimates for non-metro, metro/non-Appalachian and 

metro/Appalachian regions. That is, there are 49 separate regions to be estimated for these 13 states.

The analysis is, therefore, multi-level. The first level of estimation uses individual responses for the BRFSS 

on each of the four oral health/behavior indicators as dependent variables in a simple estimation of the 

prevalence proportions. The indicators were dichotomized to 0 for a negative response and 1 for a positive 

response. For example, if the individual respondent to the BRFSS survey that they had visited the dentist 

within the past year, they were coded as “1” and if they responded otherwise, they were coded as “0”. Those 

who did not respond were coded as missing and do not contribute to the analysis. Similar definitions were 

made for each of the other variables with the appropriate restriction to specific age categories based on selfreported age in the BRFSS dataset.
Appendix C

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The simple model for the first level estimation is a basic cell means model aimed at estimating, within each 

state, the prevalence estimates for each of the geographic regions.

Where Yij represents the jth individual BRFSS respondent for one of the four oral health indicators within the 

i

th geographic region, i = 1,2,...,49, and πi (i=1,2,...,49) represents the 49 separate prevalence proportions. 

That is, the first level of analysis estimates the prevalence proportion for the four oral health/behavior 

indicators in each of the 49 regions. Based on the sample data, therefore, we have a collection of 49 observed 

proportions, pi. The Central Limit Theorem guarantees that these estimates are approximately distributed as N 

(πij, σ) due to the large number of individuals within each region on which the estimates are based. These 

estimates are carried forward into the next level of analysis.

Next, county-level census data were aggregated to the larger geographic region using a similar model to find 

averages for each of the 49 defined geographic regions. That is, Average (Yij)=πi, where Yij represents the 

county-level census data for each economic indicator for the jth county in the ith region (i=1,2,...49). Here, 

all county-level data within a region are aggregated to the larger region defined earlier. We point out that, 

theoretically, the census variables are not random variables but represent true population values.

By aggregating the BRFSS data to a geographic unit smaller than the state but larger than the county, we 

satisfy the CDC sample size requirements for small area estimation using a simple approach that is suitable 

for our purposes. The first-level estimates are well-estimated as evidenced by the small standard errors seen in 

the reports. The BRFSS uses a probability-based sampling approach and prevalence estimates require the use 

of the sample weights. For our analyses, we used the final sample weights derived by the CDC and distributed 

with the raw data. Data were analyzed using Survey Procedures in the SAS system.

The second level of analysis assumes the pij ~ N(πij, σ) (ij=1,2,...,49). Several models of interest are 

investigated using the estimated prevalence proportions as outcomes in the second level models. Our basic 

model for analysis is the cell means model 

Where αi are the average prevalence proportions for Appalachian/metro, non-Appalachian/metro, 

Appalachian/non-metro, non-Appalachian/non-metro. This can be accomplished in a regression setting using 

three indicator variables with non-Appalachian/non-metro as the baseline and coding 0/1 for the other groups. 

Although the design could be considered a two-way ANOVA design with main effects for Appalachian/nonAppalachian and metro/non-metro, we chose to model the means directly in order to estimate simple effects. 

That is, we are most interested in comparing the means for Appalachian Region to non-Appalachian Region 

for metro areas and the same comparison within non-metro areas. As an example, suppose the four means are 

π1, π2, π3, and π4 for Appalachian/metro, non-Appalachian/metro, Appalachian/non-metro, non-Appalachian

/ non-metro, respectively. We are most interested in the contrasts of π1-π2 and π3-π4 that represent simple 

effects comparing Appalachian to non-Appalachian regions within each metro/non-metro grouping. 

E(Yij) = πi

E(pij) = αi
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In addition to the ANOVA models, we also used the estimated proportions and aggregated Census data to 

investigate correlations between the variables. Each of these, therefore, uses the 49 estimated or aggregated 

data values as variables. To identify those economic indicators that are associated with better oral 

health/behaviors, we used the aggregated data in several regressions using dental indicators as outcomes and 

economic indicators as predictors. Models for these regressions follow the form:

Where pij are the estimated prevalence proportions for oral health/behavior indicators, β0 is the intercept and 

β1 is the slope. Tests of the slope parameters are performed using a traditional Fisher’s “F” statistic.

Finally, stepwise regression models using significant economic indicators were performed to identify the best 

predictive models for each of the oral health/behavior indicators. Least squares means are reported for these 

models so that estimates of relationship between predictor and outcome are adjusted for all other variables in 

that particular model and tested using Type III analyses that are, basically, regression approaches to the 

General Linear Model.

RESULTS

The BRFSS uses a probability-based sampling approach and prevalence estimates require the use of the 

sample weights. For our analyses, we used the final sample weights derived by the CDC and distributed with 

the raw data. The following estimates for all 13 states that encompass the Appalachian Region utilize those

weights:

TABLE 11 - PREVALENCE ESTIMATES FOR ORAL HEALTH/BEHAVIOR INDICATORS, APPALACHIAN STATES

Variable N Prevalence Std. Error 95% CI

Visit within 1 year 342,338 68.70% 0.13% 68.4 %-69.0 %

Any teeth removed (ages 35-44) 65,614 43.50% 0.30% 42.9 %-44.0 %

Major tooth removal (ages 35-44) 76,881 24.20% 0.25% 23.7 %-24.7 %

Major/all tooth removal (age 65+) 65,614 9.63% 0.19% 9.26 %-10.00 %

Of the respondents to each of the oral health/behavior indicators, only 68.7 percent have seen the dentist for a 

regular yearly check-up in the past year. Of those aged 65 or older, nearly 10 percent have all teeth removed. 

For those in the 35 to 44 year age range, a large proportion has experienced at least some tooth removal as a 

result of disease or decay (43.5%), defined here as having had any teeth removed, while almost one-fourth 

have experienced major tooth removal (24.2%), defined here as having had six or more teeth removed. Since 

tooth removal is preventable through proper hygiene and care, the magnitudes of the prevalence estimates oral 

health/behavior indicators for the states that encompass the Appalachian Region are of some concern.

E(pij) = β0 + β1Xi
Appendix C

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ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010 83

The above estimates are regional estimates for all states that encompass the Appalachian Region. For the next 

level, we estimated the prevalence for each state. As illustrated in Tables 12-15, the BRFSS estimates are

reasonably well-estimated at the state level by using data across years, assuming there is little year-to-year 

change within each state. There is considerable state-by-state variability in all four indicators. For example, 

73.0 percent visited the dentist within the past year for Maryland, while only 59.4 percent had a visit for West 

Virginia. Any tooth removal within the 35-44 year olds ranged from a low of 36.6 percent for Virginia, to a 

high of 56.3 percent for Mississippi. Major tooth removal in the 35-44 year olds ranged from 5.5 percent for 

Maryland, to 18.2 percent for West Virginia, over 3 times the prevalence. For those over age 65, all teeth 

removed ranged from 18.3 percent for New York to a high of 41.9 percent for West Virginia. Overall, it 

appears that West Virginia scores very low in terms of the oral health/behavior indicators.

These are limited measures that do not shed much light on the underlying causes. Other studies indicate that 

poor oral health is often a reflection of a lifetime of poor oral health hygiene, limited exposure to dental 

professionals and limited knowledge of good oral health practices. 

Next, in Tables 12 through 15, we examined the state-level prevalence associated with each of the four 

dependent variables.

TABLE 12 - PREVALENCE OF DENTAL VISIT WITHIN THE PAST YEAR, APPALACHIAN STATES

State N Prevalence Std Error Rank 

Alabama 12,076 64.7% 0.6% 9

Georgia 20,082 66.2% 0.5% 8

Kentucky 27,422 63.8% 0.5% 10

Maryland 30,494 73.0% 0.4% 1

Mississippi 21,812 57.7% 0.4% 12

New York 24,191 70.0% 0.4% 4

North Carolina 45,953 66.8% 0.4% 7

Ohio 25,747 70.8 0.5% 3

Pennsylvania 39,970 70.0% 0.4% 4

South Carolina 32,794 67.1% 0.3% 5

Tennessee 14,412 67.0% 0.5% 6

Virginia 34,213 71.1% 0.4% 2

West Virginia 13,172 59.4% 0.5% 11

*Note that New York and Pennsylvania are tied for 4th place in this ranking.

Variations across Appalachian states in dental visits in the previous year are wide. Maryland tops the list at 

73.0 percent, and Mississippi has the lowest rate at 57.7 percent. The top four states (Maryland, Virginia, 

Ohio and Pennsylvania) are all in Northern and Central Appalachian regions; while the four states with the 

lowest rates of dental visits in the previous year (Mississippi, West Virginia, Kentucky and Alabama) were all 

in Central and Southern Appalachia.
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84 ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010

TABLE 13 - PREVALENCE OF ANY TEETH REMOVED (AGES 35-44), APPALACHIAN STATES

State N Prevalence Std Error Rank 

Alabama 2,134 52.8% 0.1% 11

Georgia 4,042 45.3% 1.0% 6 

Kentucky 4,935 48.4% 1.0% 9 

Maryland 6,470 35.0% 0.8% 1 

Mississippi 3,863 56.3% 0.9% 12

New York 4,850 43.9% 0.9% 5 

North Carolina 8,599 49.4% 0.8% 10

Ohio 4,828 40.8% 1.1% 3 

Pennsylvania 7,583 41.4% 0.8% 4 

South Carolina 6,095 47.3% 0.8% 8 

Tennessee 2,749 47.0% 1.2% 7 

Virginia 7,131 36.6% 0.8% 2 

West Virginia 2,335 57.2% 0.1% 13

State variations in the prevalence of any teeth removed in young adults (ages 35-44) also show wide variation 

(Table 13). The top ranked states are Maryland, Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania. In these states, more than

one-third of the residents between 35 and 44 years of age have some teeth removed. At the other extreme, 

West Virginia has the highest rate of any teeth removed among young adults, followed by Mississippi and

Alabama, where more than half of the young adults aged 35-44 have had at least one tooth removed. 

TABLE 14 - PREVALENCE OF SIX OR MORE TEETH REMOVED (AGES 35-44), APPALACHIAN STATES

State N Prevalence Std Error Rank 

Alabama 2,134 12.5% 0.8% 10

Georgia 4,042 10.2% 0.6% 7 

Kentucky 4,935 15.0% 0.7% 11

Maryland 6,470 5.5% 0.4% 1 

Mississippi 3,863 16.7% 0.7% 12

New York 4,850 7.9% 0.5% 2 

North Carolina 8,599 9.7% 0.5% 5 

Ohio 4,828 9.8% 0.7% 6 

Pennsylvania 7,583 8.5% 0.5% 3 

South Carolina 6,095 11.5% 0.5% 8 

Tennessee 2,749 12.1% 0.8% 9 

Virginia 7,131 8.9% 0.5% 4 

West Virginia 2,335 18.2% 0.9% 13
Appendix C

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ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010 85

The rankings for the average rates of six or more teeth removed for young adults (ages 35-44) (Table 14) 

indicate that the states with the lowest rates of major tooth removal in young adults are Maryland (5.5%), 

New York (7.9%), and Pennsylvania (8.5%), the states that comprise Northern Appalachia. The states with 

the highest rates of major tooth removal in young adults are West Virginia (18.2%), Mississippi (16.7%) and 

Kentucky (15.0%). 

TABLE 15 - PREVALENCE OF MAJOR TOOTH REMOVAL (65+), APPALACHIAN STATES

State N Prevalence Std Error Rank 

Alabama 2,820 29.8% 1.0% 9 

Georgia 4,041 26.4% 1.0% 7 

Kentucky 6,956 39.5% 0.8% 12

Maryland 5,929 18.5% 0.7% 2 

Mississippi 5,326 30.8% 0.8% 10

New York 5,182 18.3% 0.7% 1 

North Carolina 10,824 27.3% 0.7% 8 

Ohio 5,764 23.4% 0.9% 5 

Pennsylvania 9,578 25.9% 0.7% 6 

South Carolina 7,149 23.3% 0.7% 4 

Tennessee 3,262 31.2% 1.0% 11

Virginia 6,723 18.9% 0.7% 3 

West Virginia 3,327 41.9% 1.0% 13

The fourth and final dependent variable is a measure of all teeth removed among the elderly population (65+), 

and is presented in Table 15. New York (18.3%), Maryland (18.5%) and Virginia (18.9 %) represent the 

Appalachian states with the lowest prevalence of all teeth removed among the elderly. West Virginia (42%), 

Kentucky (39.5%) and Tennessee (31.2%) are the states with the highest prevalence of all teeth removed 

among the elderly. 

SU B-STATE ANALYSE

The BRFSS survey was designed for state-level estimation of health behaviors, as in the previous tables, and 

the yearly estimates are reasonably good approximations of the state-level population prevalence. Areas of 

estimation smaller than the state level require attention to sample size issues. The data may become sparse 

when estimating small local areas, particularly for the three age-specific oral health/behavior indicators. As 

previously mentioned, the CDC suggests that estimates be based on at least 50 individual observations for a 

specific small area. As a first attempt at analysis, we estimated the prevalence proportions for each of the four 

indicators at the county level. In the Appalachian Region, there are a total of 1,099 areas, 1,070 individual 

counties and 29 independent cities. Of these, only 531 areas had at least one respondent to at least one of the 

oral health/behavior indicator questions. The strict requirement of at least 50 observations retains estimates 

for a reduced number of counties as listed in the following table: 
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TABLE 16 - ASSESSMENT OF APPALACHIAN COUNTIES AND INDEPENDENT CITIES REPRESENTED IN BRFSS DATA

Indicator Number of areas with 

1+ observations

Number of areas with 

50+ observations

Visit Within 1 Year 504 496

Any/Major Removal (35-44) 503 260

Major Removal (65+) 503 311

Therefore, difficulties with sample size requirements for the BRFSS county-level estimates warranted other 

approaches for identifying differences between Appalachian and non-Appalachian Regions within the 

Appalachian states. Initially, we considered using the county-level prevalence estimates of the oral 

health/behavior indicators from the 1999-2006 BRFSS data. The removal of nearly half of the county-level 

estimates due to small sample sizes, however, warranted other approaches to the small area estimation.

Because of suspected differences in behaviors based on proximity to services, we considered separating the 

counties into those in close proximity versus those farther from large population centers. Beale codes are 

codes that are assigned to each county of the United States according to its proximity to a metropolitan area 

and provided a reasonable approach to the analysis. Because dental services may differ for metro and nonmetro areas, we used the Beale codes to assign each of the 1,099 counties within states that encompass the 

Appalachian Region to either a metropolitan area or a non-metropolitan area within the state. Because the 

BRFSS data provides the county of residence for each participant if demanded, each individual observation of 

the BRFSS data was assigned according to the county-level or independent city Beale code, to belong to 

either a metro or non-metro area within a state.

We were most interested in comparing Appalachian Regions to non-Appalachian regions within a state. The 

BRFSS data, using county identifiers, were assigned to one of the two regions, Appalachian or nonAppalachian, within each state. 

Again, using this scheme, we estimated the prevalence proportions for each of the four oral health/behavior 

indicators for four geographic regions within each state: Appalachian/metro, Appalachian/non-metro, nonAppalachian/metro and non-Appalachian/non-metro. All counties in West Virginia are listed as belonging to 

the Appalachian Region, so West Virginia has only prevalence estimates for metro and non-metro regions. All 

12 other states have four prevalence estimates, with the exception of Ohio that provides estimates for nonmetro, metro/non-Appalachian and metro/Appalachian regions. Thus, we estimated 49 separate oral 

health/behavior prevalence proportions for the described geographic regions.

The tables on the following few pages give the prevalence estimates for each of the four oral health/behavior 

indicators for each of the geographic regions described in the previous paragraph. As mentioned, West 

Virginia does not include a non-Appalachian Region. In addition, Ohio does not appear to list the county of 

residence for those in rural counties and, so, the estimate for non-metropolitan Appalachian regions is not 

available for further analysis.

As evidenced in the tables, the prevalence estimates for dental visit within the last year range from a low of 

54.4 percent to a high of 74.2 percent. The standard errors, however, indicate that the estimates are relatively 

precise in their estimation. This is understandable since the aggregation to the four geographic regions is 

nearer to that of state-level data than of county-level data, a reminder that the original intention of the BRFSS 

study is to estimate state-level prevalence.
Appendix C

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ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010 87

Only those states with Appalachian regions were used in the main analyses, although a separate comparison 

of Appalachian regions to the rest of the states is also reported. West Virginia is entirely within the 

Appalachian Region but the other 12 states had Appalachian and non- Appalachian regions. County-level 

census data were merged with the BRFSS data. The data was aggregated from the county level to the 

Appalachian and non-Appalachian regions within each state. Beale codes were added to the data and 

separated into metro and non-metro areas in the analyses. Four groups were formed from the aggregated data: 

metro Appalachian, metro non-Appalachian, non-metro Appalachian and non-metro non-Appalachian. 

Comparisons of the aggregated data were made using ANOVA models with pre-specified contrasts to 

compare the proportions for metro versus non-metro areas as well as Appalachian versus non-Appalachian 

areas. Analyses based on the ANOVA contrasts comparing Appalachian versus non-Appalachian areas, 

separately for metro and non-metro areas, are also reported.

Univariate normal probability plots of most of the proportions did not show gross departures, so the 

parametric ANOVA models were assumed robust enough to determine differences. In the initial screening of 

the variables, we reported p<0.05/4 = 0.0125 as evidence of difference by adjusting for multiple contrasts 

(k=4) but without adjusting multiple outcomes. Pearson’s correlations between economic indicators and 

dental outcomes are reported along with p-values. Finally, stepwise selection was performed to identify 

predictive models of each of the four outcome variables and those were further investigated in ANCOVA 

models that included a variable to compare the groups, metro/Appalachia, metro/non-Appalachia, nonmetro/Appalachia and non-metro/non-Appalachia. Each dental outcome was considered separately with 

p<0.05 as an indication of significant differences followed by Bonferroni post-hoc procedure for the pairwise 

comparisons of the four least-squares adjusted means. 

The first set of tables compares means on all pertinent variables, but only Appalachian states divided into 

metro/non-metro and Appalachian/non-Appalachian Region. Respondents who reside in states that do not fall 

into the Appalachian Region are not included in these analyses. Only significant results are discussed (the p 

values are in bold when they fall below 0.05). 

Table 17 shows the results for the mean comparisons of metro residents in Appalachian states to non-metro

residents in Appalachian states; therefore, residents in areas that are not considered to be in Appalachia are 

included in these analyses, as long as they live in a state that is at least partially in Appalachia. 

Non-metro Appalachian state residents are slightly older (mean age 37.7) than metro Appalachian state 

residents (mean age 36.3). In part, this mean age difference would be related to the fact that non-metro 

Appalachian state residents are more likely to be 65+ (14.5%) than metro Appalachian state residents 

(12.5%). Non-metro Appalachian state residents are also more likely to be in poverty (17.5%) than metro 

Appalachian state residents (14.3%), as median household income is lower for those non-metro residents 

($35,211) than for metro residents ($42,281). 

As for the oral health variables, non-metro Appalachian state residents are less likely to have had a dental visit 

in the last year, more likely to have lost teeth between the ages of 35 and 44, more likely to experience six or 

more teeth removed in that same age range and more likely to have had experienced all teeth removed among 

the elderly population. In other words, all four measures of oral health are statistically significantly worse in 

the non-metro areas of the Appalachian states than in the metro areas of these same states. 
An Analysis of Oral Health Disparities and Access to Services in the Appalachian Region

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88 ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010

TABLE 17 - COMPARING MEANS, METRO VERSUS NON-METRO AREAS, APPALACHIAN STATES

Variables Metro Non-metro P Value

Percent males 48.7 49.0 0.107

Percent whites 77.4 83.9 0.060

Percent other race 1.4 0.8 0.071

Median age 36.3 37.7 0.004

Percentage > 65 12.5 14.5 <0.001

Percent adults poverty 14.3 17.5 0.013

Percent urban 52.6 28.3 <0.001

Unemployment rate 5.0 5.8 0.048

Median household income 42,281 35,211 <0.001

Percent uninsured 16.3 16.9 0.352

Dental visit within past year 67.9 63.8 0.011

Any tooth removal (35-44) 42.9 51.4 0.001

Six or more teeth removed (35-44) 9.5 14.5 0.001

Complete tooth removal (>65) 24.2 31.2 0.001

Source: Appalachian states divided by metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas

Table 18 shows the results for the mean comparisons of Appalachian residents in Appalachian states to nonAppalachian residents in Appalachian states; therefore, all residents in Appalachian states are included in 

these analyses and the table compares those who live in Appalachian counties to those who do not live in 

Appalachian counties (but who live in an Appalachian state).

Residents of non-Appalachian regions of Appalachian states are less likely to be white (72.7%) than those 

residing in Appalachian regions of Appalachian states (88%). Also, residents of Appalachian regions of 

Appalachian states are more likely to be 65+ (14.2%) than those residing in non-Appalachian regions of 

Appalachian states (12.8%). Residents of Appalachian regions of Appalachian states are less likely to live in 

an urban area (36.3%) than those who reside in non-Appalachian regions of Appalachian states (44.8%); that 

is, Appalachian counties have a higher rural population than those that are not in Appalachia. Finally, 

household income is higher among residents of non-Appalachian regions of Appalachian states ($41,523) 

than it is among Appalachian regions in Appalachian states ($36,183); in other words, Appalachian residents 

are poorer, on average, than residents in non-Appalachian counties.

As for the dental variables, residents of Appalachian and non-Appalachian regions of Appalachian states do 

not experience significantly different oral health status, using these four measures (dental visits, any tooth 

removal, six or more teeth removed and all teeth removed in old age). That is, residents of Appalachian states 

have similar oral health whether they are living in an Appalachian county or not. Although there are 

numerical differences, the tests of statistical significance indicate that these differences are within the realm of 

statistical probability.
Appendix C

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ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010 89

TABLE 18 - COMPARING MEANS, APPALACHIA VERSUS NON-APPALACHIA, APPALACHIAN STATES 

Variables Appalachia Non-Appalachia P Value

Percent males 49.1 48.8 0.239

Percent whites 88.0 72.7 <0.001

Percent other race 0.8 1.5 0.026

Median age 37.5 36.4 0.013

Percentage > 65 14.2 12.8 0.003

Percent adults poverty 16.3 15.5 0.520

Percent urban 36.3 44.9 0.009

Unemployment rate 5.5 5.3 0.485

Household income 36,183 41,523 0.003

Percent uninsured 16.8 16.3 0.510

Dental visit within past year 64.6 67.2 0.110

Any tooth removal (35-44) 48.3 45.8 0.283

Six or more teeth removed (35-44) 12.9 10.9 0.164

Complete tooth removal (>65) 29.5 25.7 0.062

Source: Appalachian states divided by metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas

Table 19 shows the results of the mean comparisons of Appalachian residents in Appalachian states to nonAppalachian residents in Appalachian states, but only compares those who live in metropolitan areas. 

Therefore, all metropolitan residents in Appalachian states are included in these analyses and the table 

compares metropolitan residents who live in Appalachian counties to metropolitan residents who do not live 

in Appalachian counties (but who live in an Appalachian state). 

Residents of metropolitan areas in non-Appalachian regions of Appalachian states are less likely to be white 

(69.1%) than are those living in metropolitan areas in Appalachian regions of Appalachian states (85.1%). 

Also, residents of metropolitan areas in Appalachian regions of Appalachian states are more likely to be 65+ 

(13.7%) than those residing in metropolitan areas in non-Appalachian regions of Appalachian states (11.3%). 

Finally, household income is higher among those living in metropolitan areas in non-Appalachian regions of 

Appalachian states ($46,523) than it is among those living in metropolitan areas in Appalachian regions of 

Appalachian states ($38,539).

As for the dental variables, residents of metropolitan areas in Appalachian regions and those living in 

metropolitan areas in non-Appalachian regions of Appalachian states do not experience significantly different 

oral health status, using these four measures (dental visits, any teeth removed for ages 35-44, six or more 

teeth removed for ages 35-44 and all teeth removed in old age). That is, metropolitan residents of Appalachian 

states have similar oral health whether they are living in an Appalachian county or not. Although there are 

numerical differences, the tests of statistical significance indicate that these differences are within the realm of 

statistical probability.
An Analysis of Oral Health Disparities and Access to Services in the Appalachian Region

PDA, Inc., Cecil. G. Sheps Center/UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Mississippi State University

90 ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010

TABLE 19 - COMPARING MEANS, APPALACHIAN VERSUS NON-APPALACHIAN METRO AREAS, APPALACHIAN STATES

Variable Appalachian NonAppalachian P-Value

Percent males 48.9 48.5 0.076

Percent whites 85.1 69.1 0.001

Percent other race 0.8 2.0 0.014

Median age 37.1 35.5 0.019

Percentage > 65 13.7 11.3 0.001

Percent adults poverty 15.0 13.5 0.394

Percent urban 48.3 57.2 0.050

Unemployment rate 5.2 4.9 0.606

Household income 38,539 46,335 0.002

Percent uninsured 16.4 15.9 0.701

Dental visit within past year 65.8 70.2 0.059

Any tooth removal (35-44) 45.0 40.8 0.224

Six or more teeth removed (35-44) 10.9 8.0 0.178

Complete tooth removal (>65) 26.5 21.7 0.097

Source: All data divided by metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. 

Table 20 shows the results for the mean comparisons of Appalachian residents in Appalachian states to nonAppalachian residents in Appalachian states, but only compares those who live in non-metropolitan areas. 

Therefore, all non-metropolitan residents in Appalachian states are included in these analyses and the table 

compares non-metropolitan residents who live in Appalachian counties to non-metropolitan residents who do 

not live in Appalachian counties (but who live in an Appalachian state). 

Residents of non-metropolitan areas of non-Appalachian regions in Appalachian states are less likely to be 

white (76.3%) than those living in non-metropolitan areas of Appalachian regions in Appalachian states 

(90.9%). Other than this distinction, there are no statistically significant variations in measures of 

demographics and socioeconomics when comparing non-metropolitan residents of Appalachian states who are 

or are not in Appalachian counties. 

Non-metropolitan Appalachian residents and non-metropolitan non-Appalachian residents in Appalachian 

states do not experience significantly different oral health status, using these four measures (dental visits, any 

teeth removed for ages 35-44, six or more teeth removed for ages 35-44 and all teeth removed in old age). So, 

non-metropolitan residents of Appalachian states have similar oral health status whether they are living in an 

Appalachian county or not. Although there are numerical differences, the tests of statistical significance 

indicate that these differences are within the realm of statistical probability.
Appendix C

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TABLE 20 - COMPARING MEANS, APPALACHIAN VERSUS NON-APPALACHIAN NON-METRO AREAS, APPALACHIAN STATES

Variables Appalachian NonAppalachian P Value

Percent males 49.0 49.0 0.8985

Percent whites 90.9 76.3 0.0034

Percent other race 0.7 1.0 0.4926

Median age 38.0 37.3 0.2287

Percentage > 65 14.8 14.2 0.4226

Percent adults poverty 17.5 17.5 0.9595

Percent urban 24.3 32.6 0.0678

Unemployment rate 5.9 5.6 0.6362

Household income 33,827 36,711 0.2308

Percent uninsured 17.1 16.6 0.5827

Dental visit within past year 63.6 64.2 0.7007

Any tooth removal (35-44) 51.9 50.9 0.7560

Six or more teeth removed (35-44) 15.2 13.8 0.5241

Complete tooth removal (>65) 32.7 29.7 0.3137

Source: Appalachian states divided by metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. 

Table 21 shows the results for the mean comparisons of Appalachian residents in all states to nonAppalachian residents in all states, but only compares those who live in metropolitan areas. Therefore, all 

metropolitan residents in the United States are included in these analyses and the table compares metropolitan 

residents who live in Appalachian counties to metropolitan residents who do not live in Appalachian counties. 

Metropolitan Appalachian residents are less likely to report being an “other” race (less than 1%) than are 

metropolitan non-Appalachian residents (3.6%). Also, metropolitan Appalachian residents are more likely to 

be age 65+ (13.7 %) than metropolitan non-Appalachian residents (11.6 %). The percent living in urban areas 

is much higher in metropolitan areas outside of Appalachia (64.7%) than it is in metropolitan areas within 

Appalachia (48.3%), which indicates a higher concentration of population in non-Appalachian metropolitan 

areas than in Appalachian metropolitan areas. Finally, household income is higher among metropolitan nonAppalachian residents ($47,838) than it is among metropolitan Appalachian residents ($38,539). In other 

words, metropolitan residents in Appalachian counties are, on average, poorer than residents in nonAppalachian counties, nationwide.

Compared to metropolitan residents outside of Appalachia, metro Appalachian residents are less likely to 

have had a dental visit in the last year, more likely to have had teeth removed between the ages of 35 and 44, 

more likely to experience six or more teeth removed in that same age range and more likely to have 

experienced all teeth removed among the elderly population. In other words, all four measures of oral health 

are statistically significantly worse in the metro areas of the Appalachian Region than in the metro areas 

across the United States.
An Analysis of Oral Health Disparities and Access to Services in the Appalachian Region

PDA, Inc., Cecil. G. Sheps Center/UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Mississippi State University

92 ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010

TABLE 21 - COMPARING MEANS, APPALACHIAN VERSUS NON-APPALACHIAN IN METRO AREAS, ALL STATES

Variable Appalachian NonAppalachian P Value

Percent males 48.9 49.0 0.791

Percent whites 85.1 76.6 0.056

Percent other race 0.8 3.6 0.007

Median age 37.1 35.6 0.016

Percentage > 65 13.7 11.6 0.001

Percent adults poverty 15.0 12.1 0.026

Percent urban 48.3 64.7 <0.001

Unemployment rate 5.2 4.4 0.073

Household income 38,539 47,838 <0.001

Percent uninsured 16.4 14.7 0.273

Dental visit within past year 65.8 70.9 0.004

Any tooth removal (35-44) 45.0 36.3 0.001

Six or more teeth removed (35-44) 10.9 6.8 0.001

Complete tooth removal (>65) 26.5 19.6 0.000

Source: All BRFSS database separated by Appalachia and non-Appalachia, and divided by 

metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. 

Table 22 shows the results of the mean comparisons of Appalachian residents in all states to non-Appalachian 

residents in all states, but only compares those who live in non-metropolitan areas. Therefore, all nonmetropolitan residents in the United States are included in these analyses and the table compares nonmetropolitan residents who live in Appalachian counties to non-metropolitan residents who do not live in 

Appalachian counties. 

There is a slight difference in the gender distribution of non-metropolitan Appalachian county residents 

compared to non-metropolitan residents in the rest of the country. Although this is statistically significant, 

substantively this is not a meaningful variation. The remaining demographic and socioeconomic 

characteristics do not vary by whether a non-metropolitan resident is in an Appalachian county or in a nonAppalachian county, nationwide. In other words, Appalachian non-metropolitan residents are strikingly 

similar to non-metropolitan non-Appalachian residents across the nation. However, there are statistical and 

substantive differences in oral health when comparing Appalachian residents and non-Appalachian residents 

nationwide. 

Compared to non-metropolitan residents outside of Appalachia, non-metro Appalachian residents are more 

likely to have had teeth removed between the ages of 35 and 44, more likely to experience having six or more 

teeth removed in that same age range and more likely to have had all teeth removed among the elderly 

population. Appalachian non-metropolitan residents were no more or no less likely to have had a dental visit 

in the previous year, compared to non-Appalachian non-metropolitan residents. Though there are clear 

differences in tooth removal, we do not find associated differences in dental visits. 
Appendix C

PDA, Inc., Cecil. G. Sheps Center/UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Mississippi State University 

ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010 93

TABLE 22 - COMPARING MEANS, APPALACHIAN VERSUS NON-APPALACHIAN IN NON-METRO AREAS, ALL STATES

Variable Appalachian NonAppalachian P Value

Percent males 49.0 49.7 0.008

Percent whites 90.5 83.1 0.109

Percent other race 0.7 2.4 0.111

Median age 38.2 38.2 0.982

Percentage > 65 14.8 14.6 0.710

Percent adults poverty 17.6 15.2 0.078

Percent urban 24.3 34.0 0.019

Unemployment rate 5.9 5.0 0.051

Household income 33,827 38,410 0.027

Percent uninsured 17.2 17.0 0.762

Dental visit within past year 63.6 65.0 0.376

Any tooth removal (35-44) 51.9 43.7 0.001

Six or more teeth removed (35-44) 15.2 10.4 0.000

Complete tooth removal (>65) 32.7 25.3 0.000

Source: All BRFSS database separated by Appalachia and non-Appalachia and divided by 

metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. 

The next set of tables presents the prevalence for each of the four oral health indicators from the BRFSS data 

for each of the 49 regions (determined by state, metropolitan status, and Appalachian Region status) across 

the 13 Appalachian states. Each of tables includes a ranking of the 49 regions in order to identify patterns.

Table 23 for the oral health indicator ‘Dental Visit in Last Year’ shows the range of prevalence at a high of

74.2 percent having visited the dentist within the past year for non-Appalachia, metropolitan Virginia to a low 

of 39.2 percent having visited a dentist in Appalachia, metropolitan Mississippi. The lowest prevalence (rank 

49) is substantially lower than the 48th rank of 54 percent in non-Appalachia, non-metropolitan Mississippi. 

For the most part, the metropolitan regions have a higher prevalence than the non-metropolitan areas. In other 

words, there is little difference in the prevalence of visits to the dentist in the past year between Appalachia 

and non-Appalachia metropolitan areas.

Table 24, ‘Adults Ages 35-44 with Any Teeth Removed’, shows the range of prevalence from a low of 31.1 

percent in non-Appalachia, metropolitan Virginia to a high of 71.5 percent in Appalachia, metropolitan 

Mississippi. In general, metropolitan areas have a lower prevalence of adults aged 35 to 44 with any teeth 

removed than non-metropolitan areas, although there is little difference in prevalence between Appalachian 

and non-Appalachian areas. Within the Appalachian areas of the 13 Appalachian states, the prevalence ranges 

from 32.3 percent in metropolitan Georgia to 71.5 percent in metropolitan Mississippi. This indicates, again, 

that in metropolitan areas within the Appalachian Region, there is a lower likelihood that adults aged 35 to 44 

will have had any teeth removed compared to adults aged 35 to 44 in non-metropolitan areas within the 

Appalachian Region. 
An Analysis of Oral Health Disparities and Access to Services in the Appalachian Region

PDA, Inc., Cecil. G. Sheps Center/UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Mississippi State University

94 ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010

Table 25, “Adults Ages 35-44 with 6 or More Teeth Removed”, shows the range of prevalence from a low of 

2.9 percent in Appalachian, non-metropolitan Georgia to a high of 30.7 percent in Appalachian, metropolitan 

Mississippi. Interestingly, the lowest and the highest prevalence are both in Appalachian areas. Metropolitan 

areas have a lower prevalence of adults aged 35 to 44 with 6 or more teeth missing than non-metropolitan 

areas. There is little difference in prevalence between Appalachian and non-Appalachian areas. Within the 

Appalachian areas of the 13 Appalachian states, the prevalence seems to be lower in the northern-most states, 

with the exception of Georgia which is located in the southern portion of the Appalachian Region. This does 

not appear to be the case for the non-Appalachian areas.

Table 26 presents the prevalence for the oral health indicator ‘Adults 65+ with All Teeth Removed’ and 

shows the range of prevalence from a low of 14.2 percent in Appalachia, non-metropolitan Tennessee to a 

high of 54.3 percent in Appalachia, non-metropolitan Kentucky. As with the previous table, metropolitan 

areas have a lower prevalence of adults age 65 or older with all teeth removed than non-metropolitan areas. 

There is also little difference in prevalence between Appalachian and non-Appalachian areas. An examination 

of the Appalachian Region only finds that metropolitan areas within the Appalachian Region are also more 

likely to have a lower prevalence than the non-metropolitan areas. 

These findings suggest that, at least for some parts of the Appalachian Region, classification as being within 

the Appalachian Region is not a sufficient explanation for higher prevalence. For the most part, however, 

metropolitan status within the Appalachian states does matter. This is most likely due to the issue of access to 

dentists in non-metropolitan areas, although it may also be linked to higher rates of uninsurance, poverty, and 

unemployment in non-metropolitan areas.
Appendix C

PDA, Inc., Cecil. G. Sheps Center/UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Mississippi State University 

ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010 95

TABLE 23 - DENTAL VISIT IN THE PAST YEAR BY REGION, STATE, AND METROPOLITAN STATUS

State Beale Region N Prevalence Std. Error Rank

Alabama Metro AR 4935 67.3% 0.8% 25

Alabama Non-metro AR 617 61.0% 2.4% 43

Georgia Metro AR 2259 70.3% 1.3% 9

Georgia Non-metro AR 115 69.1% 5.0% 17

Kentucky Metro AR 1252 63.8% 1.7% 36

Kentucky Non-metro AR 7750 55.5% 0.8% 47

Maryland Metro AR 2319 70.2% 1.1% 11

Maryland Non-metro AR 504 65.8% 2.7% 31

Mississippi Metro AR 107 39.2% 5.6% 49

Mississippi Non-metro AR 2548 57.6% 1.3% 45

New York Metro AR 401 67.5% 3.1% 24

New York Non-metro AR 266 67.9% 3.5% 21

North Carolina Metro AR 5183 66.7% 1.0% 28

North Carolina Non-metro AR 1511 64.8% 1.9% 33

Ohio Metro AR 2759 70.9% 1.1% 7

Pennsylvania Metro AR 15036 69.0% 0.6% 18

Pennsylvania Non-metro AR 3049 67.6% 1.55% 22

South Carolina Metro AR 6377 67.3% 0.7% 26

South Carolina Non-metro AR 989 62.7% 1.1% 38

Tennessee Metro AR 3300 68.9% 1.0% 19

Tennessee Non-metro AR 145 70.6% 4.3% 8

Virginia Metro AR 361 70.2% 2.9% 10

Virginia Non-metro AR 781 60.8% 2.2% 44

West Virginia Metro AR 6052 64.6% 0.7% 34

West Virginia Non-metro AR 3539 56.3% 1.0% 46

Alabama Metro Non-AR 1872 66.4% 1.4% 29

Alabama Non-metro Non-AR 4652 62.0% 0.9% 40

Georgia Metro Non-AR 7727 69.8% 0.8% 13

Georgia Non-metro Non-AR 9981 62.0% 0.7% 41

Kentucky Metro Non-AR 7185 69.8% 0.8% 12

Kentucky Non-metro Non-AR 11235 61.0% 0.7% 42

Maryland Metro Non-AR 23859 73.5% 0.4% 2

Maryland Non-metro Non-AR 3812 69.2% 1.2% 16

Mississippi Metro Non-AR 7627 62.9% 0.7% 37

Mississippi Non-metro Non-AR 11530 54.4% 0.6% 48

New York Metro Non-AR 18328 71.0% 0.4% 6

New York Non-metro Non-AR 5196 67.1% 0.8% 27

North Carolina Metro Non-AR 23601 69.7% 0.5% 14

North Carolina Non-metro Non-AR 15658 64.3% 0.6% 35

Ohio Metro Non-AR 16358 72.4% 0.6% 4

Ohio Non-metro Non-AR 6630 69.3% 0.7% 15

Pennsylvania Metro Non-AR 15319 72.7% 0.5% 3

Pennsylvania Non-metro Non-AR 6566 65.9% 0.8% 30

South Carolina Metro Non-AR 16260 68.4% 0.5% 20

South Carolina Non-metro Non-AR 9168 65.1% 0.7% 32

Tennessee Metro Non-AR 5121 71.2% 0.9% 5

Tennessee Non-metro Non-AR 5846 62.5% 0.8% 39

Virginia Metro Non-AR 16923 74.2% 0.5% 1

Virginia Non-metro Non-AR 16148 67.5% 0.59% 23
An Analysis of Oral Health Disparities and Access to Services in the Appalachian Region

PDA, Inc., Cecil. G. Sheps Center/UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Mississippi State University

96 ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010

TABLE 24 - ADULTS AGES 35-44 WITH ANY TEETH REMOVED BY REGION, STATE, AND METROPOLITAN STATUS

State Beale Region N Prevalence Std. Error Rank

Alabama Metro AR 903 47.9% 1.9% 32

Alabama Non-metro AR 117 56.3% 5.0% 39

Georgia Metro AR 517 32.3% 2.5% 2

Georgia Non-metro AR 30 32.8% 8.8% 3

Kentucky Metro AR 197 49.6% 4.5% 35

Kentucky Non-metro AR 1343 65.2% 1.7% 48

Maryland Metro AR 448 40.5% 2.7% 12

Maryland Non-metro AR 93 46.3% 6.4% 27

Mississippi Metro AR 25 71.5% 9.7% 49

Mississippi Non-metro AR 419 52.2% 2.8% 36

New York Metro AR 67 40.8% 6.5% 14

New York Non-metro AR 39 40.4% 8.5% 11

North Carolina Metro AR 914 45.9% 2.2% 25

North Carolina Non-metro AR 263 58.8% 4.0% 43

Ohio Metro AR 446 35.9% 3.9% 5

Pennsylvania Metro AR 2674 41.2% 1.4% 15

Pennsylvania Non-metro AR 561 48.8% 3.1% 33

South Carolina Metro AR 1211 45.4% 1.7% 24

South Carolina Non-metro AR 171 57.0% 4.5% 40

Tennessee Metro AR 621 41.5% 2.4% 17

Tennessee Non-metro AR 29 37.5% 10.6% 7

Virginia Metro AR 60 44.6% 7.6% 23

Virginia Non-metro AR 135 63.6% 4.5% 46

West Virginia Metro AR 1063 47.6% 1.7% 30

West Virginia Non-metro AR 622 64.3% 2.1% 47

Alabama Metro Non-AR 323 46.7% 3.1% 29

Alabama Non-metro Non-AR 791 59.7% 2.0% 44

Georgia Metro Non-AR 1601 40.5% 1.6% 13

Georgia Non-metro Non-AR 1894 53.3% 1.5% 38

Kentucky Metro Non-AR 1376 41.5% 1.8% 16

Kentucky Non-metro Non-AR 2019 49.2% 1.6% 34

Maryland Metro Non-AR 5261 34.6% 0.9% 4

Maryland Non-metro Non-AR 668 36.6% 2.4% 6

Mississippi Metro Non-AR 1454 47.6% 1.6% 31

Mississippi Non-metro Non-AR 1965 62.9% 1.3% 45

New York Metro Non-AR 3751 43.2% 1.0% 20

New York Non-metro Non-AR 993 46.6% 1.9% 28

North Carolina Metro Non-AR 4689 40.2% 1.0% 10

North Carolina Non-metro Non-AR 2733 58.4% 1.4% 42

Ohio Metro Non-AR 3137 37.6% 1.4% 8

Ohio Non-metro Non-AR 1245 44.2% 1.7% 21

Pennsylvania Metro Non-AR 3110 38.9% 1.2% 9

Pennsylvania Non-metro Non-AR 1238 45.9% 1.9% 26

South Carolina Metro Non-AR 3159 42.7% 1.1% 18

South Carolina Non-metro Non-AR 1554 57.7% 1.6% 41

Tennessee Metro Non-AR 1066 44.3% 2.0% 22

Tennessee Non-metro Non-AR 1033 52.5% 1.8% 37

Virginia Metro Non-AR 3783 31.1% 1.0% 1

Virginia Non-metro Non-AR 3153 43.2% 1.1% 19
Appendix C

PDA, Inc., Cecil. G. Sheps Center/UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Mississippi State University 

ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010 97

TABLE 25 - ADULTS AGES 35-44 WITH SIX OR MORE TEETH REMOVED BY APPALACHIAN 

REGION, STATE, AND METROPOLITAN STATUS

State Beale Region N Prevalence Std. Error Rank

Alabama Metro AR 903 9.7% 1.2% 21

Alabama Non-metro AR 117 20.1% 4.1% 43

Georgia Metro AR 517 4.5% 1.0% 2

Georgia Non-metro AR 30 2.9% 2.8% 1

Kentucky Metro AR 197 14.3% 3.6% 38

Kentucky Non-metro AR 1343 25.0% 1.6% 48

Maryland Metro AR 448 8.6% 1.4% 15

Maryland Non-metro AR 93 8.8% 2.9% 16

Mississippi Metro AR 25 30.7% 10.4% 49

Mississippi Non-metro AR 419 13.6% 2.0% 36

New York Metro AR 67 5.0% 2.5% 3

New York Non-metro AR 39 13.4% 6.2% 35

North Carolina Metro AR 914 11.8% 1.6% 29

North Carolina Non-metro AR 263 14.1% 3.3% 37

Ohio Metro AR 446 5.7% 1.7% 5

Pennsylvania Metro AR 2674 8.4% 0.8% 13

Pennsylvania Non-metro AR 561 9.7% 1.9% 20

South Carolina Metro AR 1211 11.7% 1.1% 27

South Carolina Non-metro AR 171 9.6% 2.8% 19

Tennessee Metro AR 621 9.8% 1.4% 22

Tennessee Non-metro AR 29 22.9% 10.5% 47

Virginia Metro AR 60 7.7% 4.5% 11

Virginia Non-metro AR 135 20.6% 4.2% 44

West Virginia Metro AR 1063 13.3% 1.2% 33

West Virginia Non-metro AR 622 21.7% 1.9% 46

Alabama Metro Non-AR 323 8.2% 1.9% 12

Alabama Non-metro Non-AR 791 15.9% 1.4% 40

Georgia Metro Non-AR 1601 8.5% 0.9% 14

Georgia Non-metro Non-AR 1894 13.3% 1.0% 34

Kentucky Metro Non-AR 1376 9.3% 1.2% 17

Kentucky Non-metro Non-AR 2019 16.9% 1.2% 42

Maryland Metro Non-AR 5261 5.0% 0.4% 4

Maryland Non-metro Non-AR 668 9.8% 1.8% 23

Mississippi Metro Non-AR 1454 11.7% 1.0% 28

Mississippi Non-metro Non-AR 1965 20.6% 1.1% 45

New York Metro Non-AR 3751 7.2% 0.6% 8

New York Non-metro Non-AR 993 10.2% 1.2% 25

North Carolina Metro Non-AR 4689 6.0% 0.5% 6

North Carolina Non-metro Non-AR 2733 12.4% 1.0% 30

Ohio Metro Non-AR 3137 7.3% 0.8% 9

Ohio Non-metro Non-AR 1245 12.5% 1.2% 32

Pennsylvania Metro Non-AR 3110 7.4% 0.8% 10

Pennsylvania Non-metro Non-AR 1238 11.0% 1.2% 26

South Carolina Metro Non-AR 3159 9.5% 0.7% 18

South Carolina Non-metro Non-AR 1554 16.0% 1.2% 41

Tennessee Metro Non-AR 1066 10.0% 1.2% 24

Tennessee Non-metro Non-AR 1033 14.9% 1.3% 39

Virginia Metro Non-AR 3783 6.1% 0.6% 7

Virginia Non-metro Non-AR 3153 12.5% 0.8% 31
An Analysis of Oral Health Disparities and Access to Services in the Appalachian Region

PDA, Inc., Cecil. G. Sheps Center/UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Mississippi State University

98 ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010

TABLE 26 - ADULTS AGES 65 OR OLDER WITH ALL TEETH REMOVED BY REGION, STATE, AND METROPOLITAN STATUS

State Beale Region N Prevalence Std. Error Rank

Alabama Metro AR 1106 29.2% 1.6% 30

Alabama Non-metro AR 148 35.1% 4.4% 44

Georgia Metro AR 362 22.4% 2.8% 12

Georgia Non-metro AR 20 24.3% 11.3% 18

Kentucky Metro AR 358 34.3% 2.8% 42

Kentucky Non-metro AR 1824 54.3% 1.6% 49

Maryland Metro AR 560 24.9% 2.1% 19

Maryland Non-metro AR 123 33.8% 5.8% 41

Mississippi Metro AR 27 28.5% 9.4% 27

Mississippi Non-metro AR 641 30.4% 2.2% 34

New York Metro AR 114 18.4% 4.5% 6

New York Non-metro AR 87 28.6% 5.8% 29

North Carolina Metro AR 1305 25.3% 1.6% 20

North Carolina Non-metro AR 445 29.9% 2.8% 33

Pennsylvania Metro AR 3950 29.6% 1.2% 31

Pennsylvania Non-metro AR 780 29.7% 2.5% 32

South Carolina Metro AR 1350 26.6% 1.5% 25

South Carolina Non-metro AR 252 28.0% 3.4% 26

Tennessee Metro AR 817 28.6% 1.8% 28

Tennessee Non-metro AR 44 14.2% 5.2% 1

Virginia Metro AR 66 14.7% 4.7% 3

Virginia Non-metro AR 167 34.8% 4.3% 43

West Virginia Metro AR 1505 37.0% 1.4% 46

West Virginia Non-metro AR 937 49.2% 1.8% 48

Alabama Metro Non-AR 419 21.9% 2.3% 11

Alabama Non-metro Non-AR 1147 32.5% 1.6% 38

Georgia Metro Non-AR 1393 21.0% 1.6% 8

Georgia Non-metro Non-AR 2266 30.7% 1.4% 36

Kentucky Metro Non-AR 1794 32.4% 1.4% 37

Kentucky Non-metro Non-AR 2980 40.9% 1.2% 47

Maryland Metro Non-AR 4270 17.4% 0.8% 5

Maryland Non-metro Non-AR 976 24.0% 2.5% 17

Mississippi Metro Non-AR 1686 26.1% 1.4% 23

Mississippi Non-metro Non-AR 2972 33.4% 1.1% 40

New York Metro Non-AR 3819 16.3% 0.8% 4

New York Non-metro Non-AR 1162 23.8% 1.6% 15

North Carolina Metro Non-AR 5093 23.1% 0.9% 14

North Carolina Non-metro Non-AR 3981 30.5% 1.2% 35

Ohio Metro Non-AR 3525 21.1% 1.1% 10

Ohio Non-metro Non-AR 1468 25.4% 1.3% 21

Pennsylvania Metro Non-AR 3286 18.9% 0.9% 7

Pennsylvania Non-metro Non-AR 1562 33.0% 1.6% 39

South Carolina Metro Non-AR 3363 21.1% 1.0% 9

South Carolina Non-metro Non-AR 2184 23.8% 1.3% 16

Tennessee Metro Non-AR 1012 26.4% 1.8% 24

Tennessee Non-metro Non-AR 1389 36.2% 1.5% 45

Virginia Metro Non-AR 2943 14.4% 0.9% 2

Virginia Non-metro Non-AR 3547 22.5% 0.9% 13
Appendix C

PDA, Inc., Cecil. G. Sheps Center/UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Mississippi State University 

ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010 99

There are strong associations between socioeconomic indicators —poverty, percent urban, unemployment, 

income and uninsurance status— as shown in Table 27. With higher rates of poverty, residents are less likely to

have had a dental visit in the last year and more likely to have teeth removed. With higher levels of percent of 

residents living in urban areas, the likelihood of a dental visit is higher and tooth removal is lower; that is, those 

living in rural populations are less likely to have had a dental visit and are more likely to experience tooth 

removal. Unemployment patterns are identical to those seen for poverty, but the magnitude or strength of the 

relationship is slightly lower. As for median household income, populations with higher incomes are more likely 

to have visited a dentist in the last year and less likely to experience tooth removal (using all three measures). 

Finally, percent uninsured is correlated negatively with dental visit (uninsured populations are less likely to have 

been to the dentist in the last year) and positively correlated with adult tooth removal (ages 35-44).

TABLE 27 - BIVARIATE CORRELATIONS OF DENTAL OUTCOMES WITH SOCIOECONOMIC INDICATORS

Dental visit (1 year) Any Tooth 

Removal (35-44)

Six or More Teeth 

Removed (35-44)

Complete Tooth 

Removal (65+)

Percent adults in poverty -0.72 *** 0.73 *** 0.70 *** 0.48 ***

Percent urban 0.61 *** -0.59 *** -0.60 *** -0.55 ***

Unemployment ratio -0.55 *** 0.52 *** 0.52 *** 0.31 * 

Median household income 0.69 *** -0.72 *** -0.67 *** -0.57 ***

Percent uninsured -0.45 *** 0.32 * 0.17 0.19

*** p < .001, ** p < .01, * p < .05

A regression model with outcome, dental visit in the past year, was fit to the data using the non-metro / 

Appalachian group as a referent group. Results are presented in Table 28. 

For all states in the Appalachian Region, the estimates were created for the four groups as follows: (1) metro 

counties in Appalachian regions of Appalachian states, (2) metro counties in non-Appalachian regions of 

Appalachian states, (3) non-metro counties in Appalachian regions of Appalachian states, and (4) non-metro 

counties in non-Appalachian regions of Appalachian states. These are expressed in all tables as metro 

Appalachia, metro non-Appalachia, non-metro Appalachia and non-metro non-Appalachia, respectively.

Other predictor variables entered into the initial model were percent adults living in poverty, unemployment 

rate, median household income, percent uninsured, median age, percent male, percent white, percent other, 

and percent > 65. A stepwise regression model that forced inclusion of the Appalachian/metro variables was 

performed and all predictors except percent adults living in poverty were eliminated due to non-significance. 

ANOVA table results for the final model follow:
An Analysis of Oral Health Disparities and Access to Services in the Appalachian Region

PDA, Inc., Cecil. G. Sheps Center/UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Mississippi State University

100 ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010

TABLE 28 - STEPWISE REGRESSION, DENTAL VISIT IN PAST YEAR

(MODEL R2 = 0.56)

Source DF Type III SS Mean Square F Value Pr > F 

Group 3 0.01 0.00 1.51 0.23

Percent Adults in Poverty 1 0.06 0.06 37.37 0.00

Group Mean % Annual Visit

Metro/Appalachia 0.65

Metro/Non-Appalachia 0.68

Non-metro/Appalachia 0.65

Non-metro/Non-Appalachia 0.66

Pairwise p-values i/j Metro/ 

Appalachia

Metro/

Non-Appalachia

Non-metro/

Appalachia

Non-metro/ NonAppalachia

Metro/Appalachia 0.08 0.85 0.79

Metro/Non-Appalachia 0.08 0.07 0.16

Non-metro/Appalachia 0.85 0.07 0.65

Non-metro/Non-Appalachia 0.79 0.15 0.65

After adjusting for percent adults living in poverty, the four groups no longer are significantly different 

(p=0.23). The least squares means are similar with metro/non-Appalachia being slightly higher than the others 

in terms of magnitude. This is seen in the table of pairwise p-values (unadjusted) where we see some slight 

indication that metro/non-Appalachia differs from metro/Appalachia and non-metro/Appalachia, but the 

difference is not significant after adjusting for percent adults living in poverty. 

A regression model with outcome, any tooth removal for adults (ages 35-44), was fit to the data using the 

non-metro/Appalachia group as a referent group. Results are presented in Table 29. Other predictor variables 

entered into the initial model were percent adults living in poverty, unemployment rate, median household 

income, percent uninsured, median age, percent male, percent white, percent other, and percent > 65. A 

stepwise regression model that forced inclusion of the Appalachia/metro variables was performed and all 

predictors except percent adults living in poverty were eliminated due to non-significance. ANOVA table 

results for the final model follow:
Appendix C

PDA, Inc., Cecil. G. Sheps Center/UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Mississippi State University 

ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010 101

TABLE 29 - STEPWISE REGRESSION, ANY TEETH REMOVED, ADULTS AGED 35-44

(MODEL R2 = 0.58)

Source DF Type III SS Mean Square F Value Pr > F 

Group 3 0.02 0.01 1.84 0.15

Percent Adults in Poverty 1 0.15 0.15 36.72 0.00

Group Mean % Any Tooth Removal

Metro/Appalachia 0.46

Metro /Non-Appalachia 0.44

Non-metro/ Appalachia 0.50

Non-metro/Non-Appalachia 0.49

Pairwise p-values i/j Metro/ 

Appalachia

Metro/ NonAppalachiaNon-metro/ 

Appalachian 

Non-metro/ 

NonAppalachian

Metro/Appalachia 0.39 0.17 0.30

Metro/Non-Appalachia 0.39 0.04 0.08

Non-metro/Appalachia 0.17 0.04 0.72

Non-metro/Non-Appalachia 0.30 0.08 0.72

After adjusting for percent adults living in poverty, the four groups no longer are significantly different 

(p=0.15). The least squares means are similar with non-metro Appalachia and non-metro non-Appalachia 

being slightly higher than the two metro estimates.

A regression model with outcome, major tooth removal for young adults (age 35-44), was fit to the data using 

the non-metro/Appalachia group as a referent group. Results are presented in Table 30. Other predictor

variables entered into the initial model were percent adults living in poverty, unemployment rate, median 

household income, percent uninsured, median age, percent male, percent white, percent other, and percent > 

65. A stepwise regression model that forced inclusion of the Appalachia/metro variables was performed and 

all predictors except percent adults living in poverty were eliminated due to non-significance. ANOVA table 

results for the final model follow:
An Analysis of Oral Health Disparities and Access to Services in the Appalachian Region

PDA, Inc., Cecil. G. Sheps Center/UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Mississippi State University

102 ARC Contract Nos.: CO-16034-2008 and CO-16835-2010

TABLE 30 - STEPWISE REGRESSION, MAJOR TOOTH REMOVAL, ADULTS AGED 35-44

(MODEL R2 = 0.56)

Source DF Type III SS Mean Square F Value Pr > F 

Group 3 0.01 0.00 2.02 0.12

Percent Adults in Poverty 1 0.05 0.05 31.93 0.00

Group Mean % Major Tooth Removal

Metro/Appalachia 0.12

Metro /Non-Appalachia 0.10

Non-metro/ Appalachia 0.14

Non-metro/Non-Appalachia 0.13

Pairwise p-values i/j

Metro/ 

Appalac

hia

Metro/ 

NonAppalachia

Non-metro/ 

Appalachian 

Non-metro/ 

Non-Appalachian 

Metro/Appalachia 0.30 0.14 0.48

Metro/Non-Appalachia 0.30 0.02 0.10

Non-metro/Appalachia 0.14 0.02 0.44

Non-metro/Non-Appalachia 0.48 0.10 0.44

After adjusting for percent adults in poverty, the four groups no longer are significantly different (p=0.12). 

The least squares means are similar with non-metro Appalachian and non-metro non-Appalachian being 

slightly higher than the two metro estimates, but the difference is not significant after adjusting for percent 

adults living in poverty. 

A regression model with outcome, major tooth removal for elderly adults (age 65+), was fit to the data using 

the non-metro/Appalachia group as a referent group. Results are presented in Table 31. Other predictor

variables entered into the initial model were percent adults living in poverty, unemployment rate, median 

household income, percent uninsured, median age, percent male, percent white, percent other, and percent > 

65. A stepwise regression model that forced inclusion of the Appalachian/metro variables was performed and 

all predictors except percent white and percent adults living in poverty were eliminated due to nonsignificance. ANOVA table results for the final model follow:
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TABLE 31 - STEPWISE REGRESSION, MAJOR TOOTH REMOVAL, ADULTS AGED 65 OR OLDER

(MODEL R2 = 0.49)

Source DF Type III SS Mean Square F Value Pr > F 

Group 3 0.01 0.00 0.58 0.63

Percent Adults in Poverty 1 0.07 0.07 18.20 0.00

Percent White 1 0.04 0.04 10.54 0.00

Group Mean % Major Tooth Removal (65+)

Metro/Appalachia 0.30

Metro /Non-Appalachia 0.28

Non-metro/ Appalachia 0.28

Non-metro/Non-Appalachia 0.29

Pairwise p-values i/j Metro/ 

Appalachia

Metro/ 

NonAppalachia

Non-metro/ 

Appalachian 

Non-metro/ 

Non-Appalachian 

Metro/Appalachia 0.57 0.50 0.20

Metro/Non-Appalachia 0.57 0.99 0.59

Non-metro/Appalachia 0.50 0.99 0.59

Non-metro/Non-Appalachia 0.20 0.59 0.59

After adjusting for percent white and percent adults living in poverty, the four groups no longer are 

significantly different (p=0.63). The least squares means are with three percentage points, with non-metro 

non-Appalachia experiencing the highest rate of tooth removal among the elderly and metro Appalachia 

experiencing the lowest rate of tooth removal among the elderly. However, the difference is not significant 

after adjusting for percent white and percent adults living in poverty. 
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SUMMARY

Two-thirds (69%) of people living in Appalachia have seen a dentist in the previous year, but nearly half of 

adults ages 35-44 (43.5%) also have experienced some tooth removal. Nearly one-quarter have experienced 

six or more teeth removed (6 or more teeth) and nearly 10 percent of persons ages 65 or older living in 

Appalachia have had all their teeth removed. However, examining the region as a whole provides limited 

value as there are wide variations by state and even sub-state regions.

The first level of analysis involved looking at each Appalachian state. Maryland and other Northern and 

Central Appalachian states had the highest rates of dental visits in the past year, while Mississippi and other 

Central and Southern Appalachian states had the lowest rates. The highest rates of tooth removal are seen in 

Central and Southern Appalachian states while the lowest rates of tooth removal are found in Northern 

Appalachian states.

Looking at other sub-regional variations, we found that all four measures of oral health are statistically 

significantly worse in the non-metro areas of the Appalachian states than in the metro areas of these same 

states, but comparing residents in Appalachian states who are not in the Appalachian Region to those who do 

live in the Appalachian Region finds no meaningful differences (even when metropolitan status is also taken 

into account). We also compared metropolitan Appalachian residents to metropolitan residents elsewhere in 

the country, finding that Appalachian residents are less likely to have had a dental visit in the last year and 

more likely to experience all measures of tooth removal. However, in comparing non-metropolitan 

Appalachian residents to non-metropolitan residents elsewhere in the nation, differences are seen on all 

measures of tooth removal, but non-metropolitan non-Appalachian residents are not more likely to have seen 

a dentist than are non-metropolitan Appalachian residents. These findings suggest that, at least for some parts 

of the Appalachian Region, classification as being within the Appalachian Region is not a sufficient 

explanation for higher prevalence of tooth removal. All of these results were confirmed in separate state-bystate metropolitan/nonmetropolitan analyses (Tables19 through 22). For the most part, however, metropolitan 

status within the Appalachian states does appear to be a predictor of oral health status. This is most likely due 

to the issue of lack of access to dentists in non-metropolitan areas, although it may also be linked to higher 

rates of uninsurance, poverty, and unemployment in non-metropolitan areas.

Prior to regression analyses, correlations were examined. All results indicate strong positive correlations 

between measures of socioeconomic status and oral health. Regression results were presented for each oral 

health indicator in Tables 28 through 31. In all regression analyses, for each of the four oral health indicators

(dependent variables), Appalachian Region, metropolitan status and percent living in poverty explain half or 

more of the variation in oral health indicators. Only on one oral health indicator (tooth removal among the 

elderly) did another independent variable (percent white) have a significant effect on its variation. These 

results imply that access to oral health care providers (rurality and poverty) are important predictors (half of 

variation) in oral health.
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APPENDIX D: DENTAL VISITS IN THE PAST YEAR, BY SELECTED 

CHARACTERISTICS: UNITED STATES, SELECTED YEARS 1997-2009
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Source: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus10.pdf#093 Health United States 2010, Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention.
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APPENDIX E: DHPPI BY STATE

FIGURE 24 - DENTAL HYGIENE PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE INDEX BY STATE
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APPENDIX F: BEST PRACTICES IN STATE ORAL HEALTH POLICIES

BACKGROUND

According to Thornton, et al., “[b]est practices are the elements and activities of intervention design, 

planning, and implementation that are recommended on the basis of the best knowledge currently available” 

(2006:33). Best practices can also be defined as any activity of process that is consistent with improving 

health promotion (Kahan and Goodstadt. 1999). Generally speaking, measures of clinical practice guidelines, 

health technology assessment and/or evidence-based medicine are used to assess best practices (Perleth, 

Jakubowski and Busse. 2001). In a recent CDC publication, Roeber and his colleagues argue that “a more 

common approach is the use of multiple sources of expertise to identify best practices in population based 

health interventions” (2004:71). Previous studies have argued for the use of qualitative data to establish best 

practices related to health care. Sofaer (2002) argued that the application of qualitative methods may allow for 

an improved assessment of existing programs and policies. Leys (2003) argued that qualitative research is 

quite valuable in the assessment of health care programs and policies, particularly when the research evaluates 

perceptions of a program or practice. 

The objective of the analyses in this section is to identify programs and policies within the Appalachian 

Region that seek to improve oral health. The limitations of our methods are outlined here, prior to the 

presentation of the results. First, the survey was administered to a small number of participants. In order to 

minimize risk of identification and maintain confidentiality, we were unable to provide specifics such as 

which stakeholders we interviewed and which states offered which programs. Second, many stakeholders 

raised concerns over the wording of the close-ended questions. For example, concerning the question 

regarding the effectiveness of each program and policy, responses frequently discussed were often followed 

with comments relating to the population served by the program or policy. The categories provided for some 

of the close ended questions were also rather limiting. An example of this can be found in the responses for 

the question regarding number of people who benefited from the program or policy. Given the overwhelming 

response that more than 10,000 individuals benefited from a service, it seems that larger categories were 

needed. Since many of the practices discussed are state-wide, it may have been more beneficial to create 

additional categories to where the maximum category would have been 100,000 people or more. Despite a 

pre-test and revision of the survey instrument, this issue was not raised until the survey was underway.

METHODOLOGY

A supplement to the data provided by the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) was 

obtained by briefly interviewing at least three stakeholders in each of the Appalachian states. These 

stakeholders included, but are not limited to, a representative from each Appalachian state’s oral health 

division of the Department of Health; a representative from each state’s Dental Association; and a 

representative from each state’s Medicaid Dental Division. Contact information for these stakeholders was 

obtained from an internet search of websites such as the ASTDD’s website (http://www.astdd.org), each 

state’s dental association website, and each state’s Medicaid website. Stakeholders were interviewed by 

telephone or email. The interview was tested and approved by the Institutional Review Board for the 

Protection of Human Subjects in Research at Mississippi State University prior to its implementation. 

A total of three individuals in each of the thirteen Appalachian states were contacted for a total of 39 

stakeholders. At least one stakeholder from each of Appalachian state agreed to the interview. Overall, 31 

individuals agreed to the interview for a response rate of 79%.
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Table 32 shows response rates for each of the stakeholder groups. Interview participation rates varied by 

stakeholder group, and only one stakeholder group had 100% participation. The participation rate for the 

second stakeholder group was about 85%, while the lowest participation rate came from third stakeholder 

group at almost 54%. Each stakeholder provided information on an average of 4.3 programs or policies. 

TABLE 32 - INTERVIEW RESPONSE RATES

Stakeholder

Group 1

Stakeholder

Group 2

Stakeholder

Group 3 Total

# Contracted 13 13 13 39

# Respondents 13 11 7 31

Response Rate 100% 85% 54% 79%

The survey instrument that was used is shown at the end of this section (Figure 26). The primary interview

question asked was “What programs or practice policies are in place in your state related to oral health?” This 

was followed by a brief explanation of what types of programs and policies we were interested in for this 

project, namely fluoridation, screening, sealants, smoking, or community oral health initiatives of which the 

stakeholder had some knowledge. Respondents were asked to provide the name of the program and a brief 

program description. Three additional questions were asked regarding each practice mentioned by 

stakeholders. The first of these questions was “How long has this practice been in place?” Responses fell into 

one of four categories: more than 5 years; between 1 and 5 years; less than 1 year; or still being implemented. 

This question was followed by “How effective would you say this program/policy is?” Responses fell into 

one of five categories: extremely effective, very effective, effective, somewhat effective, or not effective at 

all. The last question specific to the practices mentioned was “How many people would you say benefit by 

this program/policy?” Respondents were asked to categorize responses into one of five categories: 1-100; 

101-1,000; 1,001-9,999; or 10,000 or more; otherwise, there is no benefit. Interviews were concluded by 

requesting recommendations on additional individuals to contact regarding oral health programs and 

practices. Several recommendations of existing stakeholders were made, but few (n=4) recommendations 

outside of the contacts we were already making were made. To protect the homogeneity of the stakeholders, 

these few were not contacted. Comparable stakeholders in other states could not have been determined. 

Information on 134 programs and policies related to oral health was obtained from the stakeholder interviews. 

Each of these cases was coded according to the following themes: water fluoridation, workforce, tobacco 

initiatives, education and outreach, preventive services, adult services, Medicaid initiatives, and access to 

care. Categorizing of cases into themes was not necessarily mutually exclusive as some programs and policies 

were designed to address more than one of these areas. A codebook was created to assist coding of cases into 

the various themes.

Two methods were used to insure the reliability of the coding. The first method involved a test-retest format 

in which all cases were coded by a single individual. Two weeks after the initial coding, the same individual 

re-coded all cases. A comparison of each set of coding was conducted, and a reliability score of 

approximately 92% was achieved. The second method used to determine the reliability of the coding involved 

a random sampling of 10% of the cases. A second individual was asked to code these randomly selected 

cases, and a reliability score of 91% was achieved. Given the two reliability scores, it was determined that the 

coding was largely consistent.
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RESULTS

All programs/policies (n=134) were coded into themes: access to care, adult services, oral health education 

and outreach, Medicaid initiatives, preventive services, tobacco initiatives, water fluoridation, and dental 

workforce. Categorizing of cases into themes was not mutually exclusive as some programs and policies were 

designed to address more than one of these areas. Given the lack of exclusive coding, the percentages 

presented in Figure 25 do not total to 100%. Nearly three-quarters of programs were associated with

improving access to oral health care, more than half were coded as being related to prevention, exactly half 

were oral health education programs. Far fewer programs (roughly 20% each) dealt with dental workforce, 

adult dental services and/or Medicaid. Even fewer programs on water fluoridation were found and just 3% of 

all programs were focused on oral health and tobacco. 

FIGURE 25 – PROGRAMS AND POLICIES BY THEME

Table 33 shows responses to the question “How long has this practice been in place?” (n=110). About twothirds of practices (68%) have been in place for more than 5 years, while 19% have been in place between 1 

and 5 years. Approximately 7% of the programs/policies have been in place for less than 1 year, and the 

remaining 5% are still being implemented.
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TABLE 33 – RESULTS: “HOW LONG HAS THIS PRACTICE BEEN IN PLACE?”

How long has this practice been in place? Frequency Percent

More than 5 years? 75 68

Between 1 and 5 years 21 19

Less than 1 year 8 7 

Still being implemented 6 5 

Total 110 100

Table 34 shows responses to the question “How effective would you say this program/policy is?” (n=81). The 

effectiveness of the programs was predominantly categorized as either extremely effective (37%) or very 

effective (41%), with the remainder of programs being identified as less effective (23%).

TABLE 34 – RESULTS: “HOW EFFECTIVE WOULD YOU SAY THIS PROGRAM / POLICY IS? 

How effective would you say this program is? Frequency Percent

Extremely Effective 30 37

Very Effective 33 41

Effective 7 9 

Somewhat Effective 11 14

Total 81 100

Table 35 shows responses to the question “How many people would you say benefit by this program/policy?” 

(n=96). Nearly three-quarters of programs and policies discussed (71%) were considered to benefit 10,000 or 

people; most of the remainder (28%) were estimated to benefit fewer than 10,000 people. However, one 

program was assessed as having provided no benefits to individuals. 

TABLE 35 – RESULTS: HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD YOU SAY BENEFIT BY THIS PROGRAM/POLICY? 

How many people benefit by this program? Frequency Percent

101-1000 4 4 

1001-9999 23 24

10000 or more 68 71

There is no benefit 1 1 

Total 96 100
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ACCESS TO CARE

About 71% of the programs and policies discussed (95 of 134 programs/policies) have the purpose to increase 

access to care for those in need. Details concerning programs associated with access to oral health care and 

their associated length of time in place, effectiveness and the number of people benefiting are shown in Table 

36. Of these programs and policies in the sample, 68 percent have been in place for more than 5 years. For the 

remaining practices, 17 percent were implemented between 1 and 5 years ago, 10 percent were implemented 

in the past year, and 5 percent are still being implemented. The perceived effectiveness of these programs is 

predominately extremely effective (34%) or very effective (38%). The remaining practices were perceived as 

effective (9%) or somewhat effective (20%). Overwhelmingly, 10,000 or more people benefit from these 

practices (69%), while 27 percent of the practices benefit fewer than 10,000 people. Only 3 percent of the 

practices benefit 1,000 or fewer people, and 2 percent of the practices were reported as having no direct 

benefit to the population.

TABLE 36 – ACCESS TO CARE: FREQUENCY AND PERCENTAGE

Question/ Response Frequency Percentage

How long has practice been in place?

More than 5 years? 52 68

Between 1 and 5 years 13 17

Less than 1 year 8 10

Still being implemented 4 5 

How effective would you say this program is?

Extremely Effective 19 34

Very Effective 21 38

Effective 5 9 

Somewhat Effective 11 20

How many people benefit by this program?

101-1000 2 3 

1001-9999 18 26

10000 or more 47 69

There is no benefit 1 1 
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PREVENTIVE CARE

About 54 percent (72 of 134) of the programs and policies discussed provided preventive services for those in 

need. Table 37 shows the preventive services programs/policies in regards to length of time in place,

perceived effectiveness, and number of people who benefit. Concerning how long the practices have been in 

place, 57 percent were implemented more than 5 years ago, while 27 percent were implemented between 1 

and 5 years ago. Of the remaining practices, 8 percent were implemented less than 1 year ago, and 8 percent

are still being implemented. The perceived effectiveness of the practices are mostly considered to be either 

extremely effective (36%) or very effective (46%). Roughly 7 percent of the practices were perceived as 

effective and 11 percent were perceived as somewhat effective. About 64 percent of the practices were 

reported to benefit 10,000 or more people, whereas, the remaining 36 percent benefit fewer than 10,000 

people. 

TABLE 37 – PREVENTIVE SERVICES: FREQUENCY AND PERCENTAGE

Question/ Response Frequency Percentage

How long has practice been in place?

More than 5 years? 34 57

Between 1 and 5 years 16 27

Less than 1 year 5 8 

Still being implemented 5 8 

How effective would you say this program is?

Extremely Effective 16 36

Very Effective 20 46

Effective 3 7 

Somewhat Effective 5 11

How many people benefit by this program?

101-1,000 2 4 

1,001-9,999 16 32

10,000 or more 32 64

There is no benefit 0 0 
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ORAL HEALTH EDUCATION

One-half (67) of the programs and policies in the sample sought to educate the population about oral health 

care. Table 38 shows the oral health education and outreach practices in regards to length of time in place,

perceived effectiveness, and number of people who benefit. Slightly more than two-thirds (68%) of these 

practices have been in place for more than 5 years, while 16% have been in place between 1 and 5 years. Of 

the remaining cases, 7% have been in place less than 1 year, and 9% are still being implemented. More than 

80% of the cases were perceived as extremely effective (43%) or very effective (40%). About 10% of the 

cases were perceived as effective, and 8% were perceived as somewhat effective. Two-thirds (67%) of the 

practices in the sample benefit 10,000 or more people, while the remaining one-third (33%) benefit fewer than 

10,000 people. 

TABLE 38 – ORAL HEALTH EDUCATION: FREQUENCY AND PERCENTAGE

Question/ Response Frequency Percentage

How long has practice been in place?

More than 5 years? 38 68

Between 1 and 5 years 9 16

Less than 1 year 4 7 

Still being implemented 5 9 

How effective would you say this program is?

Extremely Effective 17 43

Very Effective 16 40

Effective 4 10

Somewhat Effective 3 8 

How many people benefit by this program?

101-1,000 3 7 

1,001-9,999 12 26

10,000 or more 31 67

There is no benefit 0 0 
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DENTAL WORKFORCE

About twenty-seven (20%) of the programs and policies sampled sought to assist the oral health workforce. 

Table 39 shows the dental workforce practices in regards to length of time in place, perceived effectiveness,

and number of people who benefit. Of these, 42% have been in place for more than 5 years, while another 

32% were implemented between 1 and 5 years ago. The remaining practices were implemented within the last 

year or are still being implemented (16% and 11% respectively). The perceived effectiveness of the practices 

in the sample ranges from 38% as extremely effective to 25% as very effective, 12% as effective to 25% as 

somewhat effective. Exactly 50% of the practices in the sample benefit 10,000 or more people, while 36% of 

the practices sampled benefit between 1,001 to 9,999 people. Of the remaining practices in the sample, 7% 

benefit 1,000 or fewer people, while 7% have no direct benefit to the population as of yet. 

TABLE 39 –DENTAL WORKFORCE: FREQUENCY AND PERCENTAGE

Question/ Response Frequency Percentage

How long has practice been in place?

More than 5 years? 8 42

Between 1 and 5 years 6 32

Less than 1 year 3 16

Still being implemented 2 11

How effective would you say this program is?

Extremely Effective 6 38

Very Effective 4 25

Effective 2 13

Somewhat Effective 4 25

How many people benefit by this program?

101-1,000 1 7 

1,001-9,999 5 36

10,000 or more 7 50

There is no benefit 1 7 
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ADULT SERVICES 

Twenty-four (18%) of the programs and policies in the sample sought to provide services to adults in need. 

Table 40 shows the adult services practices in regards to length of time in place, perceived effectiveness, and

number of people who benefit. In terms of how long the practice has been in place, 83% have been in place 

for more than 5 years, while 11% have been in place between 1 and 5 years and 6% were implemented less 

than 1 year ago. The perceived effectiveness of the practices ranges from 33% as extremely effective to 42% 

as very effective, 8% as effective, or 17% as somewhat effective. Approximately 83% of the practices 

sampled benefit 10,000 or more people, whereas 17% benefit fewer than 10,000 people. 

TABLE 40 – ADULT SERVICES: FREQUENCY AND PERCENTAGE

Question/ Response Frequency Percentage

How long has practice been in place?

More than 5 years? 15 83

Between 1 and 5 years 2 11

Less than 1 year 1 6 

Still being implemented 0 0 

How effective would you say this program is?

Extremely Effective 4 33

Very Effective 5 42

Effective 1 8 

Somewhat Effective 2 17

How many people benefit by this program?

101-1,000 2 11

1,001-9,999 1 6 

10,000 or more 15 83

There is no benefit 0 0 
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MEDICAID INITIATIVES

Twenty-three (17%) of the programs and policies in the sample had a Medicaid-related purpose. Table 41 

shows the Medicaid initiatives in regards to length of time in place, perceived effectiveness, and number of 

people who benefit. Of the practices samples, 62% have been in place for more than 5 years; 19% have been 

in place between 1 and 5 years; 14% have been in place less than 1 year; and 5% are still being implemented. 

In terms of perceived effectiveness, 50% of the practices sampled were perceived as either extremely 

effective (25%) or very effective (25%). Of the remaining practices, 19% were perceived as effective and 

31% were perceived as somewhat effective. This is the only theme where the largest category of perceived 

effectiveness was somewhat effective; for all other themes the perceived effectiveness was predominately 

categorized as either extremely effective or very effective. In regards to the number of people who benefit 

from these programs, 80% of the practices benefit 10,000 or more while 20% benefit fewer than 10,000. 

TABLE 41 – MEDICAID INITIATIVES: FREQUENCY AND PERCENTAGE

Question/ Response Frequency Percentage

How long has practice been in place?

More than 5 years? 13 62

Between 1 and 5 years 4 19

Less than 1 year 3 14

Still being implemented 1 5 

How effective would you say this program is?

Extremely Effective 4 25

Very Effective 4 25

Effective 3 19

Somewhat Effective 5 31

How many people benefit by this program?

101-1,000 3 15

1,001-9,999 1 5 

10,000 or more 16 80

There is no benefit 0 0 
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WATER FLUORIDATION

Thirteen (10%) of the programs and policies in the sample focused on community water fluoridation. This 

practice is currently mandated in 12 of the 50 states and 3 of the 13 Appalachian states – Georgia, Kentucky, 

and Ohio. Table 42 shows the water fluoridation practices in regards to length of time in place, perceived

effectiveness, and number of people who benefit. Community water fluoridation was reported to benefit more 

than 10,000 people in 100% of the cases and to have been in place for more than 5 years in 100% of the cases. 

It was perceived as either extremely effective (75%) or very effective (25%).

TABLE 42 – WATER FLUORIDATION: FREQUENCY AND PERCENTAGE

Question/ Response Frequency Percentage

How long has practice been in place?

More than 5 years? 11 100

Between 1 and 5 years 0 0 

Less than 1 year 0 0 

Still being implemented 0 0 

How effective would you say this program is?

Extremely Effective 6 75

Very Effective 2 25

Effective 0 0 

Somewhat Effective 0 0 

How many people benefit by this program?

101-1,000 0 0 

1,001-9,999 0 0 

10,000 or more 11 100

There is no benefit 0 0 
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TOBACCO INITIATIVES

Only four (3%) of the programs and policies in the sample are related to tobacco and oral cancer initiatives. 

Table 43 shows the tobacco initiatives in regards to length of time in place, perceived effectiveness, and

number of people who benefit. Holding with the trend of the other practices sampled, the majority of these 

tobacco and oral cancer initiatives have been in place for more than 5 years (75%). The remaining 25% of 

these practices have been in place between 1 and 5 years. These practices were also perceived as either 

extremely effective (33%) or very effective (67%). Two-thirds of these practices benefit fewer than 10,000 

people, while the remaining one-third benefit 10,000 or more people. 

TABLE 43 – TOBACCO INITIATIVES: FREQUENCY AND PERCENTAGE

Question/ Response Frequency Percentage

How long has practice been in place?

More than 5 years? 3 75

Between 1 and 5 years 1 25

Less than 1 year 0 0 

Still being implemented 0 0 

How effective would you say this program is?

Extremely Effective 1 33

Very Effective 2 67

Effective 0 0 

Somewhat Effective 0 0 

How many people benefit by this program?

101-1,000 1 33

1,001-9,999 1 33

10,000 or more 1 33

There is no benefit 0 0 

SUMMARY

PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS

Although the question regarding program effectiveness is subjective in nature, we grouped and ranked types 

of programs based on their perceived effectiveness. Programs were first grouped based on name or service 

provided. The perceived effectiveness of the programs was then examined by group for patterns. Programs 

perceived to be either extremely effective or very effective were then categorized as most effective, while 

programs perceived to be either effective or somewhat effective were categorized as least effective. We are 

not labeling the least effective programs as ineffective, but rather are attempting to rank programs based on 

type and perceived effectiveness relative to other programs in place that address oral health and oral health 

issues. Another caveat is that our interview did not ask respondents to expand upon their perceived 

effectiveness of each program they chose to discuss; therefore we did not draw out what shaped these 

perceptions. Some assumptions can be made, however. 
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Overall, for those programs rated based on perceived effectiveness, approximately 78 percent met our criteria 

for most effective (extremely effective or very effective). Five types of programs seemed to fit into this 

categorization—community water fluoridation, school-based dental sealant programs, school-based dental 

screening programs, fluoride varnish programs, and fluoride mouth rinse programs.

Community water fluoridation programs (8 out of 8) were generally perceived to be most effective. This is 

likely due to the fact that it is an inexpensive method of prevention and reaches a large population. Schoolbased dental sealant programs (11 out of 11) were also generally perceived to be effective. This is most likely 

due to the nature of sealant programs in that they are a preventive service, potentially alleviating future health 

care problems such as childhood caries. When targeted to children in the earliest years of their education, 

dental sealant programs may also introduce a teachable moment by demonstrating the importance of oral 

health care. Additionally, some school-based dental sealant programs target schools where the students may

be considered high-risk (less likely to receive regular dental treatment based on socioeconomic status). 

School-based dental screenings (7 out of 8) were also generally perceived to be most effective. It is possible 

that this type of program was perceived as most effective as it seeks to identify problems before they are no 

longer treatable or before they lead to other health care problems. Fluoride varnish programs (8 out of 10) 

were also perceived to be effective. These programs target school children, therefore also educating a captive 

audience on the importance of oral health care. Finally, most fluoride mouth rinse programs (4 out of 5) were 

generally perceived as effective. These five programs which were perceived as being effective seem to have a 

commonality in that they reach a large population. Many of these programs have also been in place for several 

years, so the long-term benefits, such as a decrease in dental caries, may also be more apparent. Therefore, it 

appears that the programs that reach the most people and that have been in place the longest are perceived to 

be the most effective programs. From these survey data, however, it is not possible to ascertain whether these 

programs are actually effective or not.

The remaining 22 percent of programs rated lower on their perceived effectiveness. In other words, these 

programs were perceived by interview participants to be either effective or somewhat effective. One particular 

type of program seemed to fit into this categorization—public insurance programs. Medicaid and SCHIP (5 

out of 5) are programs that were perceived to be less effective. This may be due to inadequate access to 

dentists who accept Medicaid, as indicated in Section 5. It might also be that these programs are thought to be 

less effective due to low utilization by those who are eligible.

It may be beneficial to conduct further research exploring specific programs, such as those reviewed here, and 

their effectiveness.

DISCUSSION OF SPECIFIC PROGRAMS

Access to care seems to be one of the key challenges addressed by these programs and policies. This is not 

surprising given the distinctive geographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the Region as related to 

health care (Behringer, et al. 2007). It is also not unexpected given that access to care has been deemed one of 

the barriers to improving oral health care by the U.S. Surgeon General (DHHS. 2000; Haden, et al. 2003). 

Additionally, access to care has also been determined to be a leading health indicator (DHHS. 2001). Many of 

the practices included in the sample seek creative ways to increase access to oral health care. For example, in 

areas with fewer dentists, allowing primary care physicians to perform basic preventive services is one such 

mechanism to increase access. At least four of the ARC states—Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina and

Virginia—have such programs in place for young children, who are more likely to visit a primary care 

physician than a dentist. Furthermore, primary care physicians in some states may be reimbursed by Medicaid 

for providing these services. The use of mobile clinics may also provide basic access as well as assist patients 

in finding dental homes. At least one ARC state, North Carolina, considered this to be an effective practice; 

however, such a program often relies on volunteers and may therefore not be feasible. 
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Preventive services mentioned in this study primarily focus on children. These services include dental 

sealants, dental screenings, and fluoride applications, and most, if not all, of these services are offered in some 

manner in the ARC states. Many of these are administered at schools or by pediatricians in an effort to not 

only improve oral health, but to educate children about the importance of proper oral hygiene. Dye, et al. 

(2007) found that dental sealant prevalence among children age 6 to 11 has increased in recent years. Policies 

regarding dental screenings vary around the nation, yet many states require some sort of dental certificate 

prior to admittance into school (Booth, et al. 2008). Such a requirement is now found in three states in the 

Appalachian Region – Georgia, Kentucky, and New York (Booth, et al. 2008). 

Oral health education and advocacy is somewhat linked to both access to care and preventive services in this 

analysis as many of the practices categorized as such also aimed to teach patients about the importance of oral 

health care. Given that those persons with the greatest need also seem to lack knowledge about its importance 

(Haden, et al. 2003), it is not unexpected that many practices seek to educate the population about oral health. 

Furthermore, many oral health diseases, such as dental caries, are perceived as preventable; therefore oral 

health education should be fundamental to state practices regarding oral health. 

Efforts to maximize and continually educate the dental workforce are crucial in areas such as the Appalachian 

Region given its unique socioeconomic characteristics. Practices that encourage recent dental school 

graduates to work in rural areas, at least in exchange for tuition, are one such method that addresses the issue 

of access to care in underserved areas. Haden, et al. (2003) argue that dental schools should support recent 

graduates in providing at least one year of service in underserved areas in an effort to increase access to care 

as well as gain knowledge about providing culturally appropriate care. There are other health care workers, 

such as primary care providers, who, if properly trained, can provide basic dental services geared toward 

prevention (Selwitz, Ismail and Pitts. 2007). As discussed in Section 7, policies regarding practice restrictions 

placed on dental hygienists vary by state (BHP 2004). Reducing the restrictions on the level of supervision for 

dental hygienists has been identified as potentially beneficial for improving access to care in underserved 

areas (Krause, Mosca and Livingston. 2003). Few of these practices seek to diversify the dental workforce; 

however, that may be an issue that dental schools are in the best position to address in the recruitment of 

students. 

Practices to improve adult oral health are critical as well. Medicaid coverage for dental services for adults 

varies by state and is often quite limited (Ellis. et al. 2009). Adults are more likely to have medical insurance 

that dental insurance (DHHS. 2000). Therefore, some programs and policies have been implemented in ARC 

states such as Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, 

Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, in order to provide some basic preventive dental services to uninsured 

adults or insured adults unable to afford costs associated with dental visits. The risk of dental caries continues 

throughout the lifespan, so it is critical for adults to receive preventive dental care. Adults over the age of 40 

who use tobacco are at a greater risk of oral cancer (Selwitz, et al. 2007), so dental utilization is also crucial to 

oral cancer detection.

Examples of programs and policies that were categorized under Medicaid initiatives included those that seek 

to increase the number of Medicaid providers, those that rely on Medicaid reimbursement, or others that 

reduce the amount of paperwork necessary for providers to be reimbursed. Children enrolled in Medicaid are 

more likely to have dental caries and untreated tooth decay compared to children enrolled in private insurance 

(GAO. 2008). Savage, et al. (2004) found evidence that children with Medicaid coverage in areas with lower 

dentist-to-population ratios were less likely to use dental services. Fewer dentists in an area could mean that 

even fewer dentists participate in Medicaid reimbursement, thus, initiatives to increase the number of 

Medicaid providers seem warranted. According to a CDC report, an increase in the number of dentists 

participating in Medicaid occurred in about two-thirds of the states (White, Barker and Lockwood. 2004), 

perhaps indicating that practices oriented toward this task have been successful.
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Given that about one-third of the practices included in the sample relating to Medicaid initiatives have been 

implemented within the last five years, it is also possible that these practices developed as a response to 

findings from a year 2000 survey administered by the American Dental Association in which about 75% of 

dentists did not treat patients insured by Medicaid (Haden, et al. 2003). 

Water fluoridation is one relatively inexpensive practice believed to benefit the population (Bailey, et al. 

2008; Griffin, Jones and Tomar. 2001; Kohlway. 2008). Not only is community water fluoridation perceived 

as inexpensive for communities, but it is also perceived as a long term cost-saving mechanism by preventing 

future expenses related to tooth decay (Kohlway. 2008). However, as of 2006, the CDC reported that only 

69% of the population had access to a fluoridated community water system (Bailey, et al. 2008). Given that 

the rate of water fluoridation varies from state to state, and from county to county in some states, it may be 

helpful to continue to move forward for those areas that lack community water fluoridation. While water 

fluoridation has its proponents, it also has its opponents, so education regarding the benefits of water 

fluoridation may need to be continually addressed in some states (Kohlway. 2008). 

Practices related to tobacco initiatives were the only theme not mentioned by at least one stakeholder in each 

of the 13 states in the Appalachian Region. Given that a significant relationship has been found between 

tobacco use and dental caries, oral cancer, and other oral diseases (Winn 2001), this is somewhat surprising. 

However, given that tobacco use is a leading health indicator according to Healthy People 2010 (DHHS. 

2001), it is possible that there are programs in place in the Appalachian states, but these programs may not be 

specific to oral health initiatives. A report generated by the CDC did find evidence that state tobacco cessation 

programs have been increasing in recent years (White, et al. 2004). Likewise, there is evidence that smoking 

cessation is successful in tooth removal prevention, particularly as the number of years as a former smoker 

increase for an individual (Tomar and Asma. 2000; Yanagisawa, et al. 2009). 

Due to the nature of the methodology for this section of the study, it is difficult to quantify the effectiveness 

of these programs from this analysis, particularly for those who are underserved in the Appalachian Region. 

With the exception of West Virginia (in which all counties are included in the Appalachian Region), this 

methodology did not uncover to what extent these practices were designed to solely improve the oral health of 

the residents of the Appalachian Region, although given that many of these practices focus on the 

underserved, one could infer that the Appalachian Region does benefit. Improvements in the oral health status 

of the residents of the Appalachian Region may also indicate the effectiveness of these practices.
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FIGURE 26 – SURVEY INSTRUMENT

ARC Oral Health Project Interview Protocol

State: ______________________________________________ 

Position: _____ State Dental Director 

 _____ State Dental Association

 _____ State Medicaid Dental Division

 _____ Other: ___________________________ 

1. What programs or practice policies are in place in your state?

Examples of programs or practice policies might be related to fluoridation, screening, sealants, smoking, or 

community oral health initiatives. This should include programs/policies that you are aware of and not be 

limited to only those with which you are directly involved. [Write title of program and brief description.] 

a. ____________________________________________________________

b. ____________________________________________________________

c. ____________________________________________________________

d. ____________________________________________________________

e. ____________________________________________________________

2. For each practice:

a. How long has this practice been in place? 

i. More than 5 years

ii. Between 1 and 5 years

iii. Less than one year

iv. Still being implemented
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b. How effective would you say this program/policy is? 

i. Extremely effective

ii. Very effective

iii. Somewhat effective

iv. Not effective at all

c. How many people would you say benefit by this program/policy? 

i. 1 – 100. 

ii. 101 - 1,000 

iii. 1,001 – 9,999 

iv. 10,000 or more 

v. There is no benefit

3. Are there other people in the state that you think we should interview concerning programs or practices 

for oral health in [STATE]? [Take name, affiliation, position and telephone number of other parties.] 

Name Affiliation Position Phone Number

________________________________________________________________________________________ 

________________________________________________________________________________________ 

________________________________________________________________________________________ 

________________________________________________________________________________________ 
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APPENDIX G: DENTAL WORKFORCE TRENDS IN APPALACHIA

Prepared by Krause, et al., University of Mississippi

TABLE 44 – DENTAL WORKFORCE TRENDS IN APPALACHIAN COUNTIES (SORTED BY GROWTH RATE) 
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