Assistant Professor UNC-CH Adams School of Dentistry, North Carolina, United States
Abstract:
Objectives: Farmworker Labor and Oral Salud Services (F.L.O.S.S) is an initiative created to (1) educate dental professionals on the oral health disparities and barriers faced by farmworkers and (2) provide educational dental services and supplies to the North Carolina farmworker population.
Methods: An interest meeting and presentation on the oral health disparities faced by farmworkers was delivered to students at the UNC ASOD, and those interested in joining the F.L.O.S.S initiative were recruited to help with two site visits in Sampson County, NC. Presentations about proper oral hygiene techniques, periodontal disease, and pursuing careers in dentistry were delivered to two sites. In addition, oral hygiene bags containing a toothbrush, 2-3 tubes of toothpaste, and two floss containers were delivered to farmworker attendees.
Results: During the first F.L.O.S.S site visit, a total of 109 farmworkers received hygiene bags and oral hygiene instructions. During the second F.L.O.S.S site visit, 15 high schoolers and their families received hygiene bags and oral hygiene instructions. Common themes of language barriers, dental deserts, Medicaid limitations, and a desire for more Hispanic representation in dentistry emerged through informal dialogue with attendees.
Conclusion: The positive feedback gathered during both exploratory F.L.O.S.S site visits indicates the success of the initiative thus far, as well as several areas in which the project can grow. F.L.O.S.S. hopes to expand its scope to reach other farmworker groups and incorporate more formal surveying/questionnaires to collect formal data on the barriers and oral health needs of North Carolinian farmworkers and their families.
Source of Funding: None
Affiliations: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Adams School of Dentistry
