Native American History
Many oral health disparities exist within Native American communities, both now and before the time of George Spruce. These communities experience insufficient funding for health care, the isolation of tribal populations, and difficulty attracting and retaining dentists (Nash and Nagel, 2005). These factors contribute to a lack of dental access, with more than 2.4 million Native Americans nationwide living in counties designated as dental care shortage areas (Trujill-Ottino). Shockingly, American Indian populations have the highest rate of tooth decay in any population cohort in the U.S. This tooth decay is five times the average for children 2 – 4 years old, leading 68% of these children having untreated dental problems, and 1/3 of them miss school due to dental pain (Nash and Nagel, 2005). Together, these disparities highlight the need for improved access to equitable dental care within Native American communities.
