Poster Session I
Project Type
Poster
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Jannette Mcdonald
Faculty Mentor’s Department
Student Support Manager and Advisor Premedical Sciences
Abstract / Artist's Statement
Oral health is a very important part of everyone's health. But regular dental care is often overlooked among college students. This project explores how frequently college students visit the dentist and identifies the barriers that prevent them from receiving routine dental care. Young adulthood and coming into college is a transitional period that explores new independence, and financial responsibility. These things may influence health related behaviors, including dental care utilization. The research question of this study is: How frequently do college students visit the dentist, and what barriers contribute to irregular dental visits?
To address this question, a cross sectional, anonymous online survey was distributed to undergraduate and graduate students on our college campus. The survey collected self reported data on dental visit frequency, dental insurance status, access to dental providers, perceived barriers such as cost, time constraints, and dental anxiety. Statistical methods will be used to analyze trends and associations within the data. Preliminary expectations from articles, suggest that many students do not visit the dentist at the recommended frequency and that cost, lack of dental insurance, limited time, and low perceived need are among the most common barriers to care. Understanding these barriers is essential for identifying the gaps in access to preventive dental services on college campuses. This project contributes to the field of public health and dental hygiene by highlighting the unique challenges college students face in maintaining oral health. The findings may help inform campus health (curry), improve access to preventive care, and support strategies that can help promote long term oral health behaviors among college students.
Category
Social Sciences
Exploring Dental Health Behaviors and Access to Care at the University of Montana
UC South Ballroom
Oral health is a very important part of everyone's health. But regular dental care is often overlooked among college students. This project explores how frequently college students visit the dentist and identifies the barriers that prevent them from receiving routine dental care. Young adulthood and coming into college is a transitional period that explores new independence, and financial responsibility. These things may influence health related behaviors, including dental care utilization. The research question of this study is: How frequently do college students visit the dentist, and what barriers contribute to irregular dental visits?
To address this question, a cross sectional, anonymous online survey was distributed to undergraduate and graduate students on our college campus. The survey collected self reported data on dental visit frequency, dental insurance status, access to dental providers, perceived barriers such as cost, time constraints, and dental anxiety. Statistical methods will be used to analyze trends and associations within the data. Preliminary expectations from articles, suggest that many students do not visit the dentist at the recommended frequency and that cost, lack of dental insurance, limited time, and low perceived need are among the most common barriers to care. Understanding these barriers is essential for identifying the gaps in access to preventive dental services on college campuses. This project contributes to the field of public health and dental hygiene by highlighting the unique challenges college students face in maintaining oral health. The findings may help inform campus health (curry), improve access to preventive care, and support strategies that can help promote long term oral health behaviors among college students.