Dr. Richard A Williams

The purpose of forming this mobile dental outreach program is to provide quality oral health care to the children of Mississippi who may otherwise not have access to dental care on a regular basis. Many Mississippi communities, especially the rural areas and inner cities are under-served in many health care areas, especially dental care. Since there is such an obvious need, this mobile outreach dental program (Approved by the Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners)will be coming directly to the schools and other organizations to provide dental care to your children and others who may have a need. A full range of dental services will be offered and provided by a board certified dentist (Richard A. Williams, DMD, Jason Grissom, DMD, J. Randall Woodson, III, DMD, Larry Wilson, DMD, Christopher Bennett, DMD, Braden McInteer, DMD), a board certified dental hygienist, and a dental staff consisting of professional x-ray technicians and dental assistants. 
The statistics below are the …defining reasons that the RDC Mobile Dental Outreach Program was developed. The following children’s oral health stats provide proof that the frequency of oral disease occurrence directly correlates to disparities in dental care access. In the 2003 "Keep America Smiling: Oral Health in America" report by Oral Health America, Mississippi received an overall mark of "D+"compared to the national overall mark of "C." Also, In a recent Pew Center study on oral healthcare, Mississippi received a grade of "D". While Mississippi has begun to address the oral health needs of its children, many opportunities remain in the areas of prevention and access to dental care. 
+ Research: Oral Health of Mississippi's Children
One of the primary indicators of dental decay for children is low socioeconomic status. Approximately one (1) in five (5) Mississippians lives in poverty, and of this 20% of the population, over one-third (38%) are children ages 17 and younger. Therefore, a high percentage of Mississippi population is in a high-risk group for dental decay.The research stats below were compiled by the US Department of Health and Human Services between 2000 and 2003.
Tooth decay (dental carries) is the single most common chronic childhood disease.
Approximately 1 in 5 preschoolers, half of 2nd graders, and 80% of 17-year-olds have at least one (1) cavity or filling.
A child suffering from dental pain may have difficulty with school attendance, affecting their mental and social well-being.
Children living in poverty suffer two times the tooth decay and pain as their more affluent peers.
A child living in poverty is one-half as likely to obtain a dental visit as their affluent peers.
One in Four children living in poverty have not seen a dentist before entering kindergarten.
African American children have a much higher proportion (67.4%) of untreated dental caries than white children (37.3%).
Only about 1 in 5 children enrolled in Medicaid received a single dental visit per year.
For every child without medical coverage, there are 2.6 children without dental coverage.
In an earlier study, Ilberman, Mosca, Eklund & Stilley (2001) conducted oral health assessments on a sample of 5,227 third graders, representing 74 public schools in Mississippi. Results of the research are included below:
Almost 3 in 4 children (70%) exhibited caries experiences (tooth decay).
15% were in urgent need of dental care.
African American children had one-half the number of sealants as white children.
Children without sealants had 3 times the need for urgent care than children with sealants.
Children with more than one sealant had less need for dental care.
As the most widespread, chronic, and preventable childhood disease, dental caries (tooth decay) is costly to children, families, and the state. In addition, poor oral health in young children, if untreated, sets the stage for a lifetime of negative health outcomes. Clearly, continued support for efforts to increase dental care access and caries prevention in Mississippi with programs such as the RDC Mobile Dental Clinic a