The oral health conditions of the homeless in downtown Los Angeles.

The aim of this study is to evaluate a community health project serving the homeless and to assess their oral health. Clinical charts of 1,088 patients were evaluated. The prevalence of untreated caries was 58 percent among adults with a mean of 6.3 decayed teeth. Homeless individuals are in great need of restorative, surgical, and periodontal dental procedures. Community health projects are important in assessing and improving the oral health of the underserved homeless population.