A study describes the characteristics of the current primary dental care workforce (dentists, hygienists, assistants), its distribution, and its delivery system in private and public sectors. Graduate dental school enrollments, trends in patient visits, employment patterns, state dental activities, and workforce issues related to health care…

An overview of the current oral health status of Americans looks at the epidemiology of oral/dental diseases, rates of use of dental services, and expenditures for dental health care. Substantial progress in improving oral health is seen as are particular challenges resulting from the aging and ethnic diversification of the population. (MSE)

Discusses the multiple medical, dental, therapeutic, psychosocial, and early intervention needs faced by children with cleft lip and cleft plate during the first three years of life. The physiological development of children with these disabilities is described and the need for interdisciplinary team involvement is emphasized. (Author/CR)

Children who experience homelessness are at increased risk for a range of health and mental health problems. In spite of this increased risk, they are often less likely to receive appropriate services. School-based programs offer considerable potential to reduce the gap between needs and appropriate services for these youth; however, there are few…

This study investigated the effects of a program that taught oral hygiene skills to students with visual impairments using group instruction and individual coaching. The results showed that the program enhanced the oral hygiene skills of the three participants significantly, and its effectiveness lasted for at least two months after the…

"Child Care Health Connections" is a bimonthly newsletter published by the California Childcare Health Program (CCHP), a community-based program of the University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing, Department of Family Health Care Nursing. The goals of the newsletter are to promote and support a healthy and safe environment…

People with ID represent approximately 2% of the population and, as a group, experience poorer health than the general population. This article presents recent conceptualizations that begin to disentangle health from disability, summarizes the literature from 1999 to 2005 in terms of the cascade of disparities, reviews intervention issues and…

The relationship between poor health and cognitive impairment is not fully understood yet. People with Down syndrome are prone to a number of health problems, including congenital heart defect, visual impairment, hearing loss, autoimmune diseases, epilepsy, early-onset Alzheimer's disease and intellectual disability. Our aim was to assess the…

This paper presents strategies for the clinical nurse specialist (CNS) in the school setting to use in case management of migrant children with dental disease. Although dental disease is the major health problem of all school-age children in the nation, the problem is even more severe for children of migrant farmworkers. Leininger's transcultural…

This educational manual, an interdisciplinary effort of professionals throughout South Dakota, is intended to serve as a practical guidebook of ideas to better serve the nutritional needs of the developmentally disabled population. The manual addresses: dietary aids for specific disorders; appropriate foods or supplements for optimal nutrition;…

The goals of the 1988 Colorado Health Education Survey were: (1) to document the status of health education in Colorado schools by surveying all school districts in the state as well as by sampling teachers; and (2) to make recommendations based upon study findings available for consideration by the Colorado Department of Education. Part 1, the…

Practical advice for parents of handicapped children is the focus of this issue on self-care skills including self-feeding, dressing, and personal hygiene. Ten initial tips for teaching skills to children include constant repetition, modeling, and keeping verbal instruction to a minimum. The section on self-feeding addresses the topics of…

HEALTH SERVICES WERE MADE AVAILABLE TO SOME 6176 SEASONAL AGRICULTURAL MIGRANTS IN A FIFTEEN-COUNTY PROJECT AREA OF PENNSYLVANIA DURING 1966. THIS PROJECT IS AN EXTENSION AND EXPANSION OF A FOUR-COUNTY MIGRANT HEALTH PROGRAM BEGUN IN 1963. THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY THIS PROGRAM HAVE BEEN EXPANDED FROM OUT-PATIENT SERVICES TO INCLUDE DENTAL CARE,…

ALTHOUGH DENTAL PROBLEMS ARE COMMON IN BOTH RURAL AND URBAN AREAS, RURAL CHILDREN SEEM TO HAVE MORE DIFFICULTIES. THE REASONS FOR THIS APPEAR TO BE THAT THERE ARE FEWER DENTISTS PER CAPITA IN RURAL AREAS, AND THAT THE RURAL CHILD IS USUALLY EXPOSED TO A WATER SYSTEM LACKING FLUORIDATION, WHICH IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY OF ADMINISTERING FLUORIDES.…

The results of a study on the health care needs and utilization patterns of Hispanic (primarily Mexican American) families in southeastern Wisconsin are presented in this report. The methodology of the study, which included two surveys in a 9 county area, is described. Findings of the two studies, one focusing on health services utilization by…