Translational Research
COHRA (Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia)
What?
Defining the Causes of Oral Disparity in Applachia, USA
How ?
Concept
Factors Contributing to Oral Disparity may include:
- Community
- Family and
- Individual
these could be studied by linking
- Community Characteristics
- Family Interactions
- Behavior
- Microbes and
- Genes
How?
Specifics
Each Individual Enrolled
| Family History |
Oral Health Screening |
Samples |
A. In-depth Interview
- Medical
- Demographic
- Pregnancy
- Oral-Health Behavior
B. 15 Point Self Reporting Assessment ( PC Tablet or laptop )
- Physio-social
- Health Behavior
- Family Relationship
( >7,000 Variables )
( 2.5 Hours/Patient )
|
- Soft Tissue Exam
- Caries
- Perio
- Malocclusion
- Salivary flow
- Papillary Bleed Score
( 2 Hours/Patient ) |
- DNA
- Plaque
- Throat Culture
- Tongue Culture
- Denticult
- BANA
- Household Water
( 9 Samples/Patient ) |
Why?
Appalachia
Oral Health
- West Virginia has the highest adult edentulism rates among all states; 47.7% of adults older than 65 are completely edentulous.
- One third of adults under age 35 have lost at least six permanent teeth.
- West virginia adults rank lowest in the nation on dental attendance (47%), compared to the national average (67%).
- By age 8, 66% of children have dental decay; 37.5% have untreated decay.
- Dental caries are the most common infectious disease of West Virginia children. By the time of high school graduation, 84% of WV youth have had dental caries. 33% of WV children suffer from untreated decay.
General Health
- West Virginia ranked 2nd highest in prevalence of persons reporting their general health as either "fair" or "poor" (25.3%)
- "Fair" and "Poor" health was most common among adults without a high school diploma/GED (51%) and those with annual income less than $15,000 (49.2%).
- Nearly 1/4 (23.5%) of adults aged 18 to 64 had no healthcare coverage.
- Eigteen percent (17.*%) of adults needed medical care within the past 12 months but could not afford it.
- West Virginia adults use smokeless tobacco three times the rate of the US average.
- Past-month smokeless tobacco use was 31% amoung WV youth in grades 9-12, compared to the national average of 9.3% (CDC, 1987)