Month/Year of Graduation

5-2025

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Department

Biology

First Advisor

Dr. Sachin Nedungadi

Abstract

Oral healthcare is an essential aspect of an individual’s systemic health. However, many oral conditions are left untreated due to the inaccessibility to dental care. Many disparities limit access to dental care like low income and lack of insurance coverage. Untreated oral conditions are linked to systemic health problems like cardiovascular disease, stroke, and pancreatic cancer. Patient experience is a driving factor in the continued involvement in dental care that would limit some of the diseases with oral health manifestations. I aim to compare patient experiences in private and corporate dental practices to provide a scope of the dental care opportunities in the Omaha area through semi-structured interviews with various dentists. I conducted four interviews with two private and two corporate dentists that focused on patient volume and experience. I found that corporate dental practices handle a higher volume of patients and maintain more advanced technology to accommodate their attendance. Private practices are more traditional in their treatment, offering a more personal approach by the dentist. Both private and corporate dentists emphasize the importance of communication in building a relationship that has trust as the foundation. Ultimately, this study highlights some of the differences in the delivery of dental care across two avenues of dentistry to ensure accurate understanding of dental care in the Omaha area.

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