Getting kids to focus on oral hygiene can be like pulling teeth, but one USF graduate student wants communities 鈥� not just parents 鈭� to be more involved in addressing the problem.
So says Tina Treloar, a candidate at USF鈥檚 (COPH), who recently spoke at the National Oral Health conference in Orlando. Her presentation, 鈥淚ncreased Access to Oral Health Care through Community Expansions of School-Based Dental Programs,鈥� stressed the need for broader access to care for children with dental problems.
In recognizing Treloar鈥檚 ongoing efforts and desire for continued study, the American Academy of Public Health awarded her a $7,500 scholarship to help pay for next year鈥檚 tuition.
鈥淭he scholarship helps to increase the number of qualified professionals who can offer quality oral health care, especially in rural areas, improving access to essential dental services for more people,鈥欌�� Treloar said.
She currently works in Gainesville at the University of Florida鈥檚 College of Dentistry in Community Outreach and completed her MPH there in 2017. To enhance her professional value, she decided to further her education at USF by pursuing a doctorate of public health, which is offered through a hybrid format. She comes to Tampa several times a year to fulfill her on-campus requirements.
Treloar is aware of the demand for more dentists and hygienists in Florida, where the population far outweighs the public鈥檚 needs, especially those on limited income. When she first began working in private practice, she attended a 鈥渇ree day鈥欌�� of dentistry in which the organizers hoped to see 100 patients in a single day, most of whom were desperate for specialized care. Many were turned away due to limited time and resources. For Treloar, the experience was a wake-up call.
鈥淚 only saw patients who had quality insurance to cover the cost of care or those who could afford to pay out of pocket,鈥欌�� she said of her role in private practice. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 sure what to expect from the event, but I was given a glimpse of the substantial gap in access to care.鈥欌��
Oral health has been called 鈥淔lorida鈥檚 untreated public health crisis鈥欌�� by the American Children鈥檚 Campaign, a non-profit advocacy group based in Tallahassee. Florida faces a significant oral health crisis, they say, with high rates of untreated tooth decay, particularly among children and a shortage of dental care providers, especially in rural areas. A large portion of the population lives in designated 鈥渄ental health professional shortage areas,鈥欌�� and many rely on emergency rooms for preventable dental issues, resulting in high costs for taxpayers.
The statistic surrounding tooth decay among children of Florida is high and concerning (about 30 percent) as the national average is approximately 20 percent.
Tina Treloar
The problem is worse for children of families who either can鈥檛 afford regular dental care or simply have limited access to it: 鈥淥ur patients report barriers to care that include limited dental providers, long appointment waitlists, inadequate insurance coverage and geographical barriers,鈥欌�� Treloar said.