title: Dental caries among children visiting a mobile dental clinic in South Central Kentucky: a pooled cross-sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dental caries is one of the most common chronic childhood diseases affecting a large portion of children in the United States. The prevalence of childhood dental caries in Kentucky is among the highest in the nation. The purposes of this study are to (1) compare sociodemographic differences between caries and no caries groups and (2) investigate factors associated with untreated dental caries among children who visited a mobile dental clinic in South Central Kentucky.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study subjects were children aged 6 to 15 years who participated in the school-based dental sealant program through the mobile dental clinic operated by the Institute for Rural Health at Western Kentucky University between September 2006 and May 2011 (n = 2,453). Descriptive statistics were calculated for sociodemographic factors (age, gender, race/ethnicity, insurance status, and urban versus rural residential location) and caries status. We used chi-square tests to compare sociodemographic differences of children stratified by caries and no caries status as well as three levels of caries severity. We developed a logistic regression model to investigate factors associated with untreated dental caries while controlling for sociodemographic characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The proportion of children having untreated dental caries was 49.7% and the mean number of untreated dental caries was 2.0. The proportion of untreated dental caries was higher in older children, children with no insurance and living in rural residential locations, and caries severity was also higher in these groups. Odds ratio indicated that older ages, not having private insurance (having only public, government-sponsored insurance or no insurance at all) and rural residential location were associated with having untreated dental caries after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics of children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Untreated dental caries was more likely to be present in older children living in rural areas without insurance. Health interventionists may use this information and target rural children without having proper insurance in order to reduce geographic disparities in untreated dental caries in South Central Kentucky.
authors: Department of Public Health, College of Health and Human Services, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY 42101, USA.
authors: Erika
authors: E
authors: Dawkins
authors: Akihiko
authors: A
authors: Michimi
authors: Gregory
authors: G
authors: Ellis-Griffith
authors: Tina
authors: T
authors: Peterson
authors: Daniel
authors: D
authors: Carter
authors: Gary
authors: G
authors: English
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D003740:Dental Clinics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007347:Insurance, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007629:Kentucky / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008952:Mobile Health Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012571:School Dentistry; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
references: Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2006 May;194(5):1316-22
references: 16647916
references: BMC Oral Health. 2006 Jun 15;6 Suppl 1:S4
references: 16934121
references: J Dent Educ. 2004 Oct;68(10):1081-9
references: 15466058
references: J Public Health Dent. 2010 Jun;70 Suppl 1:S49-57
references: 20806475
references: Compend Contin Educ Dent. 2012 Jun;33(6):406-13; quiz 414, 416
references: 22774329
references: Am J Public Health. 2005 Aug;95(8):1345-51
references: 16043666
references: J Rural Health. 2002 Fall;18(4):512-20
references: 12380894
references: J Periodontol. 2000 Oct;71(10):1554-60
references: 11063387
references: J Public Health Dent. 2010 Summer;70(3):205-10
references: 20337900
references: Am J Public Health. 2010 Jan;100(1):122-8
references: 19910356
references: Community Dent Health. 2004 Mar;21(1 Suppl):71-85
references: 15072476
references: J Sch Health. 2009 Mar;79(3):116-22
references: 19207517
references: J Can Dent Assoc. 2011;77:b57
references: 21627867
references: Bull World Health Organ. 2006 Jan;84(1):36-42
references: 16501713
references: J Sch Health. 2005 May;75(5):157-61
references: 15989084
references: J Rural Health. 2010 Summer;26(2):129-38
references: 20446999
references: CMAJ. 2009 Nov 24;181(11):E253-4
references: 19858248
references: J Sch Health. 2007 Jan;77(1):1-6
references: 17212753
references: Environ Health Perspect. 2004 Jul;112(10):1047-50
references: 15238274
references: Am J Public Health. 2002 Jan;92(1):53-8
references: 11772761
references: Am J Public Health. 2008 May;98(5):876-81
references: 18382008
references: J Dent Res. 2004;83 Spec No C:C35-8
references: 15286119
references: Pediatrics. 2003 Sep;112(3 Pt 1):e184-91
references: 12949310
references: Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2003 Oct;31(5):344-50
references: 14667005
references: Wash State J Public Health Pract. 2009;2(2):22-31
references: 20617156
references: J Dent Res. 2004;83 Spec No C:C43-7
references: 15286121
references: Acad Pediatr. 2009 Nov-Dec;9(6):410-4
references: 19945075
references: Int J Paediatr Dent. 2007 Jul;17(4):289-96
references: 17559457
references: J Public Health Dent. 2001 Summer;61(3):168-71
references: 11603320
references: J Rural Health. 2003 Summer;19(3):260-8
references: 12839134
references: Rural Remote Health. 2012;12:2035
references: 22452285
references: J Am Dent Assoc. 2008 Nov;139(11):1507-17
references: 18978389
references: BMC Oral Health. 2012 Sep 05;12:38
references: 22950640
references: Am J Dent. 2009 Feb;22(1):3-8
references: 19281105
references: BMC Med Res Methodol. 2008 Feb 28;8:9
references: 18307814
references: Am J Public Health. 2004 Oct;94(10):1682-6
references: 15451731
references: Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2005 Feb;33(1):53-63
references: 15642047
references: Ambul Pediatr. 2002 Mar-Apr;2(2 Suppl):141-7
references: 11950385