Shillpa Naavaal, BDS, MS, MPHDental Public Health and Policy
Oral Health Services Research
My research focuses on the access to care among vulnerable populations, including children, pregnant women, and Medicaid populations, and the impact of various healthcare policies on the use of healthcare services.
I have used various national, state, and local surveillance datasets and collected primary data to investigate oral health disparities and utilization of care among these populations. Oral health is an integral part of overall health, and I am keenly interested in exploring areas of dental-medical integration.
Some examples of my work in this area include utilization and delivery of preventive dental services in the primary care setting, HPV vaccination uptake, role of healthcare providers and opioid prescriptions among dental patients, and the relationship between oral and systemic health.
Health Equity
