The Northeast Center for Research to Reduce Oral Health Disparities

Boston University

The Northeast Center for Research To Reduce Oral Health Disparities, headed by Dr. Raul Garcia at Boston University School of Dental Medicine, focuses on reducing early childhood caries. Researchers at the center examine the effects of tooth decay on the quality of life of low-income African American, Asian, Hispanic, and white children, and determine whether severe caries can slow growth. Additionally, investigators work to determine the best ways to involve pediatricians in reducing early childhood caries. They also conduct studies of children and caregivers from the various racial and ethnic groups to learn more about the oral microbes that trigger tooth decay and how they are transmitted.

The Center is a collaborative effort involving Harvard University, The Forsyth Institute in Boston, the Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and Boston Medical Center.

The New York University Oral Cancer Research for Adolescent and Adult Health Promotion Center

New York University

Oral cancer, like many diseases, continues to take a disproportionate toll on minorities. African American males suffer the highest incidence of any group in the U.S. mainland. Puerto Rican males residing in Puerto Rico also have a high incidence of the disease. Failure to diagnose oral cancers in their earliest stages is probably the greatest factor contributing to poor treatment outcome. The New York University center, headed by Dr. Ralph Katz, works to determine why minorities do not get oral cancer exams that might pick up the earliest signs of the disease. Specifically, they look at differences in willingness to participate in cancer screening exams among African Americans, Puerto Ricans residing in Puerto Rico, Puerto Ricans residing in the U.S. mainland, and whites. The researchers also look for ways to alter behavior to reduce risk factors such as tobacco and alcohol use.

Collaborating with the New York University center are Boston University, Howard University, the Johns Hopkins University, the University of Pittsburgh, Tuskegee University, the University of Alabama, the University of Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Health Department, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

The Center Addressing Disparities in Children's Oral Health

University of California, San Francisco

The primary focus of this center, directed by Dr. Jane Weintraub of UCSF, is the prevention of early childhood caries, particularly among Mexican-, African-, Chinese-, and Filipino-Americans and low-socioeconomic-status whites. Researchers at the UCSF center explore factors such as cultural attitudes and other barriers that may prevent parents and caregivers from taking their young children to the dentist. Such knowledge may then be used to influence the development of public policy to reduce these barriers. The researchers also will use individual, community, and statewide data to determine what risk factors most likely lead to early childhood caries to help identify susceptible children. The Center conducts clinical trials to test two interventions to prevent dental disease. The effectiveness of fluoride varnish painted on children's teeth is being evaluated at two diverse sites in San Francisco — the San Francisco General Hospital Family Dental Center and the Chinatown Public Health Center. An additional study evaluates a combination of preventive oral care methods for pregnant women, their infants, and toddlers who live on the U.S.-Mexican border.

Collaborating with UCSF are the San Francisco Department of Public Health, the San Ysidro Community Health Center, a model health care center located near the U.S.-Mexican border, and 12 other agencies and institutions along the West coast.

The Detroit Center for Research on Oral Health Disparities

University of Michigan

The Detroit Center for Research on Oral Health Disparities works with a Detroit community of low-income African American children and their primary caregivers to promote oral health and reduce disparities. Investigators seek to answer the question: Why do some low-income African American children and their caregivers have better oral health than others from their same community? The researchers look at the influence of cultural, biological, and dietary factors on oral health status. Using this information, they are developing an educational campaign targeted at the community to improve oral health. Additionally, the center evaluates whether children's access to dental services improves when Medicaid is managed like private health insurance.

The Detroit Center for Research on Oral Health Disparities, under the leadership of Dr. Amid Ismail, consists of the University of Michigan's Schools of Dentistry, Public Health, Social Work, and Medicine, the Institute for Social Research, and the University of Detroit-Mercy. Additional collaborators are the Detroit Department of Health, and the Voices of Detroit Initiative, funded by the Kellogg Foundation.