title: Filling the gap: equity and access to oral health services for minorities and the underserved.
abstract: Family physicians and other primary care providers play a pivotal role in preventing oral disease, especially among minority and underserved populations who have limited access to dental services and poorer oral health status. Oral diseases/conditions, such as caries, baby bottle tooth decay, gingivitis, periodontitis, oral pharyngeal malignancies, and orofacial trauma, are prevalent and costly, yet largely preventable. Given their role in promoting and protecting overall health and their historical role in serving minority and underserved families, family physicians occupy a unique position to assure equity, access, and improvement in oral health for all Americans.
authors.affiliation: Division of Science, Education, and Analysis, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Rockville, MD, USA.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Drum
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Duffy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003752:Dental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009909:Oral Health; D010819:Physician's Role; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D014481:United States