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<br /> 13 <br /> <br /> <br />Access to Dental Care <br />Oral health not only includes tooth and gum health, but other health conditions that may result from <br />poor oral health (gum disease contributes to heart disease; tobacco use contributes to tooth decay). <br />Issues in oral health include availability of affordable dental insurance, access to regular and preventive <br />care, and population specific issues like children’s dental heath, increasing refugee population needs, <br />and language barriers. <br /> <br />According to American Academy of Periodontology, people with periodontal (gum) disease have an <br />increased risk of heart disease and stroke19, while tooth decay is the most common childhood chronic <br />disease. Oral health begins with an individual taking responsibility for his/her behavior including oral <br />hygiene, home care practices, healthy diet and nutrition, avoidance of tobacco and alcohol, and periodic <br />preventive dental visits. <br /> <br /> Orange County has a dentist rate of 9.9 per 100,000 people which is higher than NC (4.6) and the US <br />(6.0). However, the rate has decreased from a rate of 10.4 and 22% of survey respondents report <br />experiencing barriers to dental care (see figure 9). <br /> <br /> The Orange County Health Department Dental Clinic, which is listed as Orange County’s oral health <br />safety net provider, is seeing a steady increase in the number of adult and pediatric patients treated <br />from 4,848 in 2014 to 5,280 in 2015. <br /> <br /> In 2015, with the expansion of dental services, due to the successful increase in patients seen, the <br />Orange County Dental Clinic has expanded its services by increasing its physician number from 1 to <br />2. <br /> <br /> Piedmont Health Services, Inc.’s full-scope family dentistry practice at its Carrboro Community <br />Health Center, another local safety net dental services provider, served 2,377 unduplicated <br />individuals (48% children, 52% adults) with 5,360 dental visits in 2015. In an effort to better meet <br />demand for care, the health center is currently planning a renovation to double the size of its dental <br />clinic from three to six chairs. <br />24% <br />22% <br />18% <br />9% <br />8% <br />4% <br />3%3% <br />3%2%2% <br />Figure 9: Places Respondents had Trouble Getting Medical Care <br />Specialist <br />Dentist <br />General Practitioner <br />Eye care/optometrist/ophthalmologist <br />Pharmacy/prescriptions <br />Hospital <br />Health Department <br />Medical Clinic <br />OB/GYN <br />Urgent Care Center <br />Pediatrition