Today, dental caries is one of the most prevalent and critical oral illnesses in the modern world. For instance, the majority of adults (94%) tend to experience problems with their teeth (“Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Dental Caries” par. 1). At the same time, the significance of the issue is highlighted in the goals of Healthy People 2020 (“Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Healthy People 2020” par. 1). It could be said that these factors underline the fact that sufficient research is required to understand the primary reason for the occurrence of this situation. At the same time, it is critical to propose relevant and effective interventions, which will contribute to the resolution of the problem in a positive direction.
As for the community selected for the study, the adults with low socioeconomic status are the center of this research. The previously conducted literature review revealed that adults with low income have a 2.2 higher possibility of caries than people with higher revenues (Costa, Vasconcelos, and Abreu 2403). This finding underlines that this social group is at risk since the correlation reveals the connection between the level of income and the possibility of caries (Costa, Vasconcelos, and Abreu 2403). Therefore, it is critical to study the representatives of the community mentioned above. At the same time, it is vital to reveal the potential reasons for the occurrence of this trend and propose a suitable treatment to control the development of dental caries. Consequently, in the context of this study, the representatives of the local community with a low socioeconomic status will be selected for the research.
To understand the subsequent flow of the research project, it is critical to set goals and objectives. Using the SMART approach will assist in making the aims concise and definite. Thus, it will define the particular steps, which one must follow to find the resolution to the existent issue of dental caries among adults with a low socio-economic status.
The primary goal of the paper is to understand the main reasons for a high prevalence of dental caries among individuals with a low socioeconomic status by the end of September 2016. In this case, the initial objective is to find three relevant articles and statistics to categorize the primary drivers for the development of dental caries among adults with a low level of income in August 2016. Thus, it remains apparent that relying on theoretical concepts and previous research might not be enough to find a solution. Consequently, the subsequent objective is to construct a relevant research sample (20 participants) (criteria: low income, educational background, and low socioeconomic status) and conduct semi-structured interviews with them to gather additional information about their awareness and attendance of the medical institutions in case of the symptoms of dental caries by October 2016.
Alternatively, another aim is to propose a relevant plan and framework of interventions, which will improve the current situation with dental caries in the United States of America among people with low income by December 2016. In this instance, one of the objectives is to review the most commonly used interventions and determine whether they minimize the percentage of dental caries among adults with low socioeconomic status by November 2016. Lastly, it is critical to provide an express oral examination of the participants of the research within a week or month after the intervention, assess their medical records to determine the connection between the treatment and results, and design a ranking of the most effective interventions by December 2016.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Dental Caries and Tooth Loss in Adults in the United States, 2011-2012. 2015. Web.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Healthy People 2020: Oral Health Objectives. 2016. Web.
Costa, Simone, Mara Vasconcelos, and Mauro Abreu. “High Dental Caries among Adults Aged 35-44 Years: Case Control Study of Distal and Proximal Factors.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 10.6 (2013): 2401-2411. Print.