Research
PROJECT TITLE: BRIDGE the Gap: Bolstering Resources for Inclusive Dental Growth and Equity in Gainesville, Florida
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PI: Dr. Emily Bartley
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Institution and Department: UF College of Dentistry, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science
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Amount of time associated with project: 3 months
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Research Focus: Overall, findings from the proposed project will provide important information regarding the factors underlying oral health disparities and may be an avenue toward enhanced tailoring of outreach methods among underserved populations. This experience will prove invaluable in shaping my career as a future dental professional and will offer an opportunity to gain insights into oral healthcare inequities and hone my research skills. We aim to Characterize UF Health Care One Clinic patients' current dental care utilization, perceived oral health-related quality of life, presence of oral pain, and barriers to oral health access.
Project Responsibilities: We aim to enroll 120 patients aged 18 years and above for the proposed study, ensuring an equal distribution between males and females. Operating two days per week, the Care One Clinic schedules approximately 16 patients per day, indicating that our clinic-based recruitment strategy is likely to yield a sufficient number of participants. During each patient's appointment, myself and my mentors will present an overview of the study procedures and obtain both verbal and written informed consent from interested patients. Those consenting to participate will then be asked to complete a survey comprising various questionnaires.