Hawaii

Hawaii is called the “Aloha State” because of the warm welcome it gives to visitors and tourists. The state consists of a series of beautiful and lush tropical islands in the Pacific Ocean, far away from the U.S. mainland. Residents in Hawaii can spend their free time sunbathing on beautiful beaches, surfing, hiking through a rainforest, or learning about the unique Hawaiian culture. NYU Langone Dental Medicine’s health center partners are located on the island of Hawaii, Oahu and Maui. Many of the people of Hawaii, especially children, are in critical need oral health care. In fact, Hawaiian children have one of the highest rates of dental cavities in the nation. This may be due to the state having the lowest proportion of residents with access to fluoridated drinking water. There is a shortage of providers willing to treat the vulnerable populations in both the urban and rural areas of the Hawaiian Islands. In 2019, 9.3% of people in Hawaii had incomes below the poverty line ($25,926 for a family of four) and 8.6% of people under age 65 and below 138% of the poverty line did not have health insurance. NYU Langone Dental Medicine and its health center partners help to ensure equitable and affordable dental care while enhancing and honing the skills of postdoctoral dental practitioners.