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Dental Health of Migrant Agricultural Workers

Author: Avery, Kevin T. DMD, MPH
Date Published: 1974


The St. Johns River basin in Northeast Florida plays host to a considerable migrant population for part of each year. The interstate nature of the migrant streams has prompted the federal government to assume the responsibility for programs to develop, and in some cases provide, health services for this segment of society. During the 1972-73 harvest the Migrant Health Program, HEW, supported an assessment of the health status of migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their families located in this area by the Department of Community Health and Family Medicine at the University of Florida. This study presents the findings of a dental survey which was part of the comprehensive health evaluation. The unique problems with regard to health care which are created by mobility and low socioeconomic level have been widely reported. Programs conducted by dental schools, religious organizations, and health departments to provide migrants with dental services have also been described. Although opinions and clinical impressions acknowledge the lack of dental care, the actual extent of the problem, especially among adults has not been investigated.

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Number of Pages: 2