The power of prevention: The key to lifelong oral health

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Authors
McIntosh, Jessica
Wheeler, Courtney
Rutschman, Halle
Mertens, Rachel
Advisors
Belt, Lisa
Issue Date
2025-04-25
Type
Abstract
Keywords
Research Projects
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Citation
McIntosh, Jessica; Wheeler, Courtney; Rutschman, Halle; Mertens, Rachel. 2025. The power of prevention: The key to lifelong oral health. -- In Proceedings: 24th Annual Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Forum. Wichita, KS: Wichita State University, p. 1
Abstract

The goal of this project is to reduce health disparities, increase health literacy, and improve access to care, particularly in low-income and homeless young adults at Wichita Children's Home. By focusing on young adults, the project aimed to educate them about the importance of preventative oral health care and connect them with available resources, ensuring they have the tools and knowledge to achieve better oral health outcomes. The Wichita Children's Home, with its focus on providing care and support to vulnerable young adults, was an ideal partner for this project. Many young adults in low-income households face multiple challenges that contribute to poor oral health, including limited access to preventative care, and difficulty affording dental treatments. This project is targeting the young adult homeless population ages 18-25. We had the six participants take a pre-lecture and post-lecture quiz. This assessed their knowledge on oral hygiene habits, nutritional choices, and tobacco/nicotine side effects. Before we presented, 66.7% of the participants said people should brush twice a day. After the presentation, that number increased to 83.3%. This presentation educated not only the employees but also the residents on how to customize oral health habits to each individual and their specific needs. At the beginning the young residents did not want to pay attention nor listen to our presentation. Towards the end of the presentation however, they seemed to be more engaged and we hope they left feeling more optimistic about wanting to embark on good oral hygiene. For future projects it would be crucial to provide information, such as a brochure, to ensure the residents are able to look back at the material to reference for further understanding.

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Description
Presented to the 24th Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Forum (URCAF) held in Woolsey Hall, Wichita State University, April 25, 2025.
Publisher
Wichita State University
Journal
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Series
URCAF;v.24
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