Latino Hispanic Dental Oral health Health disparities
Abstract:
The Latino culture is the fastest growing population in the U.S., and the dental health of this population is substantially deteriorating. The purpose of this paper is to expose the behavioral patterns of the Latino population surrounding dental care with the goal of constructing programs that are tailored for Latino communities for the spreading of information and prevention practices that will ultimately lower their dental costs and improve oral health. The present research paper investigates the social, economic, and educational disparities of the Latino adult population surrounding dental care, along with cultural influences and previous knowledge surrounding oral health. The dental Latino provider population, along with access to insurance, is also going to be taken into account to study the factors that affect their approach toward the dental health system.
The proposed study will use statistical analysis to look into common factors relating perceptions and demographics with habits and knowledge surrounding dental care. Significant findings of this study are that the Hispanic population prioritizes at home preventive oral care more than dentist appointments and that there are knowledge gaps in terms of dental conditions and terms.
