Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
Kentucky's oral health indicators and progress towards Healthy People 2010 objectives
Amit Chattopadhyay1, Oscar Arevalo, James C Cecil
1Department of Epidemiology, University of Kentucky College of Public Health, Room 209-C, 121 Washington Ave, Lexington, KY 40536, USA. achat4@email.uky.edu
Objectives:
National and Kentucky (KY) state-specific oral health indicators were compared to Healthy People (HP) 2010 oral health objectives to assess the progress of the state.
Methods:
Oral health surveillance system--derived estimates from national and KY surveys for various oral health indicators (1999-2004) were examined and compared with national estimates and the HP 2010 objectives. The null hypothesis that differences between national and KY indicators did not differ significantly was statistically evaluated using a "z" statistic-based test.
Results:
About 99.7% of KY had water fluoridation, ranking 2nd highest in the US. KY ranked 24th in the US for adult dental visits (69.8% people with a dental visit compared to national average of 69%). Some 38% of the elderly population was edentulous (national, 20.5%). Compared to other states, KY ranked high for teeth cleaning and dental sealants, but had greater caries experience and untreated caries among children. These patterns remained even in socio-demographic factor subgroup analysis. Most of these indicators improved from 1998 to 2004.
Conclusions:
KY oral health indicators as documented by state/regional oral health surveys are not encouraging, and the progress towards the HP 2010 objectives is quite limited. Despite major national emphasis on oral health improvement and better than national average annual dental visit for some segments of the population, KY has a very high prevalence of edentulism compared to the rest of the country. Educated policy making and additional resources for program planning and implementation are required to improve the oral health status of KY residents.
Related Concept Videos
Oral Cavity
Teeth: The teeth are the hardest structures in our bodies. Humans have two sets of teeth throughout their lifetime: deciduous (baby) teeth and permanent teeth. Each tooth consists of several parts: the crown (visible part), the root (embedded in the jaw), enamel (hard outer...
Assessment of the Mouth
Mouth Inspection
The inspection begins with visually examining the mouth for symmetry, color, and size.
Tooth Anatomy
The Crown, Neck, and Root
The visible part of the tooth is referred to as the crown. It's covered by enamel, the hardest substance in the human body. The crown is uniquely shaped for each type of tooth, allowing for different functions such as cutting, tearing, or grinding food.
Teeth
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin and...
Primary Healthcare Services
In 1978, international leaders convened in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan, for what would be a pivotal event in global health. The Alma-Ata Declaration was the first to call...
Levels of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention
In primary prevention, actions taken before disease onset prevent the disease from...

