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Updated: Feb 27, 2026

Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
Oral Health Intervention for Low-Income African American Men in Atlanta, Georgia
LaShawn M Hoffman1, Latrice Rollins1, Tabia Henry Akintobi1
1LaShawn M. Hoffman, Latrice Rollins, Tabia Henry Akintobi, Katherine Erwin, and Natalie Hernandez are with the Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA. Kimberly Lewis is with the Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness, Atlanta. Assia Miller is with McKing Consulting Corporation, Atlanta.
Objectives:
To describe the Minority Men's Oral Health Dental Access Program (MOHDAP) intervention and report participants' outcomes and satisfaction.
Methods:
MOHDAP was designed to increase the oral health knowledge of low-income, African American men in Atlanta, GA, in 2013. A community-based participatory approach and needs assessment guided the intervention development, which consisted of 3 educational modules delivered over a 2-day period. All participants (n = 45; mean age = 50 years) were African American men. We assessed changes in oral health knowledge and attitudes at baseline and postintervention via survey.
Results:
After the intervention, the percentage of correct responses to questions about gingivitis increased by 24.2% (P = .01), about use of a hard (instead of a soft) toothbrush increased by 42.2% (P < .01), and knowledge of ways to prevent gum diseases increased by 16.0% (P = .03). The percentage agreeing with erroneous statements decreased 11.3% (P = .02) regarding oral health-related fatalism and oral health self-care and 17.4% (P = .05) regarding saving front versus back teeth.
Conclusions:
Community-based oral health educational interventions designed for African American men may reduce oral health disparities among this population.
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