Community Based Programs
Community Based Programs
News
- Pew Report: Florida ranks last in dental care for poor children
- A recent study by the Pew Center for the States found that only 23.5 percent of Medicaid-enrolled Floridian children age 18 and under received any sort of dental care in 2008, making Florida the worst state in the nation when it comes to providing dental care to low-income kids.
- "Our state's Medicaid program…has some of the most awful reimbursement rates for dentists in the United States," said Frank Catalanotto, chairman of the Department of Community Dentistry at the University of Florida. "The result is that very few dentists in the state of Florida participate in the dental Medicaid program."
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University Of Florida Statewide Network for Community Oral Health
The UF Statewide Network for Community Oral Health is an enduring statewide resource committed to providing community based clinical learning opportunities for dental students and residents, while improving access to dental services for underserved populations.
In addition to our Gainesville facilities, the UF College of Dentistry currently owns three satellite sites, with a fourth to be added in summer 2008. These facilities are strategically located in vulnerable metropolitan areas and house postdoctoral general dentistry and pediatric residency programs. These programs educate 22 residents per year and in 2007 provided $2.8 million dollars in low-cost dental care for at-risk populations. The newest addition to the UF network is the $8 million UF Children’s Dental Clinic slated for construction in 2007-08 on the Collier County campus of Edison College. It will bring desperately needed pediatric dental resources to one of Florida’s areas of most concentrated unmet need.
Goals of the Statewide Network
- To significantly increase the number of at-risk individuals receiving oral care throughout the state of Florida. This includes low income adults, children, and special needs patients.
- To establish and refine a model for improving the oral health of children and adults through education. This model includes direct clinical care, targeted patient education, and partnerships with community resources.
- To educate students on existing dental disparity in our state and nation. Ideally, in-depth clinical and social exposure in these community sites late in their dental school careers will motivate a proportion of students and residents to pursue future careers in community health.
