Oral Health Experience of Transitory Horse Racetrack Adults and Children

Objectives: Horse racetrack workers are increasingly Hispanic. Essentially no health status literature exists on them or their families. This paper presents self-reported oral health care utilization information for adults employed at the racetrack and their children. Methods: A June 2006 health assessment on a racetrack backstretch outside Chicago included participation incentives such as access during the workday, prizes, feedback on health, and personal identification only for consenting. Within the oral health assessment, in English or Spanish, were three BRFSS questions on oral health care utilization. Results: 334 individual attended oral health screenings. 88% completed questionnaires in Spanish. 25% were children older than 3 years. 73% of the children visited a dentist <1 year, while 47% of the adults did (p<.001). 18% of children and 14% of adults had never been to the dentist. Permanent teeth were removed due to disease for 7% of children and 43% of adults (p<.001). While 56% of children and 38% of adults reported having their teeth cleaned <1 year, 37% of children and 24% of adults never had their teeth cleaned (p<.001). Conclusion: Although the state mandates schoolchildren have oral health examinations, assurance must be made that this applies to transitory workforce populations, including provision of treatment and prevention services. Contrasts with county BRFSS Hispanic adult data are dramatic: 67% were to a dentist within 1 year (2004) and 67% had teeth cleaned within 1 year (2003). Adult dental care utilization may reflect prioritization, knowledge and barriers conveyed to their children. Issues concerning documentation and confidentiality provided limitations for both investigators and participants. These data will help plan services and develop hypotheses for future research. 5P20MD000524-04, National Center of Minority Health and Health Disparities, NIH.