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The Missouri Elks Mobile Dental Program–Dental Care for Developmentally Disabled Persons
Author(s) -
Dane John N.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
journal of public health dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1752-7325
pISSN - 0022-4006
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-7325.1990.tb03557.x
Subject(s) - outreach , residence , medicine , dental care , service (business) , rural area , family medicine , gerontology , medical emergency , business , demography , marketing , political science , sociology , law , pathology
Abstract This article describes the origins, funding, organization, operation, utilization, and outreach program of a statewide mobile dental program for the disabled in Missouri. The article includes information based on analysis of productivity reports and patient records. Comparisons are made between the utilization by mentally retarded (MR) and other disabled patients (MCCS), their county of residence, and the location where service was provided (rural vs urban). The mean number of dental procedures provided per client was 7.3. More procedures (8.35) were provided to urban clients than rural clients (5.81). The utilization rate of urban MR clients was 63.9 percent, compared to 60 percent for rural MR clients. Other findings show 10.7percent urban MCCS clients utilized the mobile dental program, versus 13.5 percent of the rural MCCS clients. The budgeted expenditures for providing care to this underserved group were $46,000 less than the estimated value of dental care provided in a private practice setting.