392 - Oral Health of Pediatric Patients Living in a Food Desert

Purpose: The objective of this study is to compare the caries rate of pediatric patients living in food deserts compared to pediatric patients that do not live in a food desert.



Methods: Demographic and clinical information was collected including patient height, weight, BMI, plaque index score, dmft/DMFT scores, and zip code on a total of 50 patients between the ages of 3-10. A t-test was conducted to compare the children in the food desert group versus children not living in the food desert group.



Results: Based on my current findings, 26% of the study population live in a food desert. There is no suspected statistically significant difference in dmft/DMFT scores, plaque index scores, or BMI between the children living in a food desert versus children not living in a food desert. 



Conclusions: From an oral health perspective, living in a food desert does not negatively impact a child’s oral health.