Dental Caries in Homeless Adults in Boston

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Abstract
Information about the oral health status of the homeless is limited. The purpose of this study is to characterize the dental caries status among users of a dental treatment and referral program at homeless shelters in Boston, MA. Persons attending the program during a one-year period were assessed for evidence of dental caries experience by a single examiner. DMFT counts were abstracted from patient records. The population examined (n = 73) was 66 percent male with a mean age of 36 years. The racial composition was 51 percent African-American, 34 percent Caucasian, and 14 percent Hispanic. The 70 dentate people examined had a mean DFT of 11.1 (SD = 6.1). The mean percent of DFT that was DT per person was 55.7 percent. Untreated caries was detected in 91.4 percent of those examined. These findings show evidence of previous dental services utilization by these homeless individuals, but demonstrate a high need for preventive and restorative dental therapy.