The Ohio State University Geriatric Dentistry Program
Appalachian Outreach Project

In the summer of 2000, Dr. Abdel Mohammad, Director of the Geriatric Dentistry Program at The Ohio State University contacted Pamela Matura, Executive Director of Area Agency on Aging District 7, Inc. (AAA7) with an idea to begin to address the oral health needs for older adults residing in Appalachia Ohio. He became aware of this issue after reading several articles in the Columbus Dispatch concerning the southern and eastern counties in the state that are designated by the Appalachian Regional Commission as “Appalachia.” The Appalachian Ohio region is identified by high unemployment, high poverty rates, substandard housing, lack of infrastructure and technology, and poor access to medical care, including dental services. The high dependence on tobacco as a market crop supports widespread usage that greatly impacts the oral health of many individuals.

In the fall of 2000, the Area Agency on Aging partnered with Dr. Abdel Mohammad and the OSU Geriatric Dentistry program to complete a pilot program of mobile dental services to older adults living in Pike County, Ohio. AAA7 coordinated the service delivery through the Community Action Committee of Pike County, Inc. the organization that currently operates the Pike County Senior Citizens Center in Waverly, Ohio. During three separate visits to that area the OSU Geriatric Dentistry Program provided excellent dental services to forty-five clients, some of which had never been to a dentist or had not had any dental care for over twenty-five years. All were extremely pleased with the results and the painless experience.

As a result of the success of that pilot program, AAA7 has funded the OSU Geriatric Dental Program on a yearly basis to provide dental service through out the region on a twice- monthly basis. Senior year dental student under the close supervision of Dr. Mohammad perform a wide range of dental services, including oral examinations, cleaning, filling, extractions, and denture relining and repair. They have traveled to Adams, Brown, Gallia, Highland, Jackson, Pike, Ross, Scioto and Vinton counties to provide on-site dental care and have provided more extensive dental care for some clients at the OSU Geriatric Dental Clinic in Columbus. Over seven hundred older adults have been served through December 2004. The clinic is set up in a location convenient to older adults meeting all accessibility criteria. The location is often in the local senior center, senior housing complex or congregate nutrition site, such as the University of Rio Grande. Mobile dental equipment is transported from OSU by van. They utilize the latest in portable dental equipment and processes. We have had numerous letters and comments from satisfied customers who would not otherwise have access to dental care due a lack of dentists in their respective areas and/or the cost of needed dental work.

In addition to the mobile dental service, the Appalachian Geriatric Dentistry Program has sole access to the OSU Geriatric Clinic at the OSU College of Dentistry one time a month to handle more difficult dental issues for the clients. Transportation to the clinic is arranged through the aging network or individuals transport themselves.

In 2001, Dr. Mohammad and the OSU Geriatric Dentistry Program received the Ohio Association of Area Agency on Aging (O4A) Partnership Award. This award is given during the O4A Annual Fall Conference after being determined by the O4A Board of Directors. The award exemplifies team efforts that lead to significant improvements in the quality of life for older Ohioans. The program has also been recognized by the American Dental Association. as an outstanding community outreach program..

During 2005, the project expanded to “relatives as parents”. A grant from the J. Floyd Dixon Foundation provides for four sessions in Jackson County that target grandparents over the age of 50 who are currently raising their grandchildren. The sessions are constructed so that both the grandparent(s) and the grandchildren receive dental care during the visit. Many grandparents are raising grandchildren on a fixed budget with little to no additional income support and healthcare needs often go unmet.

For more information you may contact:

Nina R. Keller, MSW, LSW
Assistant Director/Director of Planning
Area Agency on Aging District 7, Inc.
1-800-582-7277, ex. 201
nkeller@aaa7.org

Dr. Abdel Rahim Mohammad, DDS, MS, MPH, FAAOM, FACD
Director of Community Outreach and Engagement Programs
Professor of Geriatric Dentistry and Oral Medicine
Director of Geriatric Dental Program and Tobacco Cessation Clinic
The Ohio State University College of Dentistry
Columbus, Ohio
1-614-292-1001
mohammad.6@osu.edu