Image of Mark MacekMark D. Macek, DDS, DrPH, FICD

Dr. Macek is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Public Health and holds licenses to practice dentistry in Maryland and Illinois. He currently serves as assistant dean for curriculum innovation and scholarship, and director of the School of Dentistry's Office of Instructional Evaluation. Dr. Macek trained two years in the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service before joining our faculty in 1998. He has authored more than 60 peer-reviewed journal articles and two book chapters. He also contributed to NIDCR’s landmark report, Oral Health in America: Advances and Challenges. Dr. Macek’s research interests include access to care/utilization of services, oral health literacy, dental caries surveillance, and oral health disparities.

Selected Publications:

Health literacy

  1. Adunola F, Macek MD, Atchison K, Akinkugbe A. Association between oral health knowledge, perceived oral health related quality of life, perceived oral health status and emergency department and/or urgent care visit: Results from the multi-site oral health literacy study. J Public Health Dent 2023; 83 (2): 193-99.
  2. Patino D, McQuistan MR, Qian F, Hernandez M, Macek MD, Chi D. The interactive effects of oral health literacy and acculturation on dental care use among Hispanic adults. J Public Health Dent 2022; 82 (3): 295-302.
  3. Messadi DV, Macek MD, Markovic D, Atchison KA. Oral health literacy, preventive behaviors, and chronic medical conditions. JDR Clin Trans Res 2018; 3 (3): 288-301.
  4. Patino D, McQuistan MR, Qian F, Hernandez M, Weber-Gasparoni K, Macek MD. Oral health knowledge levels of Hispanics in Iowa. J Am Dent Assoc 2018;149(12):1038-48.
  5. Atchison KA, Macek MD, Markovic D. The value of a combined word recognition and knowledge measure to understand characteristics of our patients’ oral health literacy. Comm Dent Oral Epidemiol 2017; 45 (4): 380-8.
  6. Macek MD, Atchison KA, Chen H, Wells W, Haynes D, Parker RM, Azzo S. Oral health conceptual knowledge and its relationship with oral health outcomes: findings from a multi-site health literacy study. Comm Dent Oral Epidemiol 2017; 45 (4): 323-9.
  7. Macek MD, Atchison KA, Wells W, Haynes D, Parker RM, Chen H. Did you know Medicare doesn’t usually include a dental benefit? Findings from a multi-site investigation of oral health literacy. J Public Health Dent 2017; 77 (2): 95-8.
  8. Aldoory L, Macek MD, Atchison KA, Chen H. Comparing well-tested health literacy measures for oral health: a pilot assessment. J Health Communication 2016; 21 (11): 1161-9.
  9. Holtzman JS, Atchison KA, Macek MD, Markovic D. Oral health literacy and measures of periodontal disease. J Periodontol 2017; 88 (1): 78-88.
  10. Macek MD, Atchison KA, Watson MR, Holtzman J, Wells W, et al. Assessing health literacy and oral health: preliminary results of a multi-site investigation. J Public Health Dent 2016; 76 (4): 303-13.
  11. Masnick M, Morgan DJ, Macek MD, Sorkin JD, Brown JP, Rheingans P, Harris AD.  Improving the understanding of publicly reported healthcare-associated infection (HAI) data. Infect Control & Hosp Epidemiol 2016;37(11):1349-54. 
  12. Khanna N, Ramaseshan A, Arnold S, Panigrahi K, Macek MD, et al. Community awareness of HPV screening and vaccination in Odisha. Obstetr Gynecol Int 2015; 1: 1-7. 
  13. McQuistan MR, Qasim A, Shao C, Straub-Morarend CL, Macek MD. Oral health knowledge among elderly patients. J Am Dent Assoc 2015;174(1):17-24. 
  14. Macek MD, Haynes D, Wells W, Cotten PA, Parker RM Pediatric oral health literacy among Baltimore adults. J Theory & Practice Dent Public Health 2014; 2 (1&2): 2-10. 
  15. Macek MD, Cohen LA, Harris SL, Bonito AJ, Manski RJ, Edwards RR, Khanna N, Plowden KO. Challenges to patient-provider communication among low-income adults with dental problems. J Theory & Practice Dent Public Health 2013; 1 (1): 4-8.
  16. Macek MD, Manski MC, Schneiderman MT, Nauta-Meakin SJ, Haynes D, Wells, W, Bauer-Leffler S, Cotten PA, Parker RM. Knowledge of oral health issues among low-income Baltimore adults: a pilot study. J Dent Hyg 2011; 85 (1): 49-56.

 Oral health disparities

  1. Chavis S, Macek M. Status matters: impact of disability diagnosis on dental care utilization for adults in the United States. J Am Dental Assoc 2022; 153 (8): 797-804.
  2. Macek MD, Yellowitz JA. Oral cancer examinations among smokers and moderate-heavy drinkers, United States, 2008. J Public Health Dent 2013; 73 (4): 280-88.
  3. Macek MD, Cohen LA, Harris SL, Bonito AJ, Manski RJ, Edwards RR, Khanna N, Plowden KO. Challenges to patient-provider communication among low-income adults with dental problems. J Theory & Practice Dent Public Health 2013; 1 (1): 4-8.
  4. Macek MD, Tomar SL. Dental care visits among dentate adults with diabetes and periodontitis. J Public Health Dent 2009; 69 (4): 284-9.
  5. Macek MD, Taylor GW, Tomar SL. Dental care visits among dentate adults with diabetes, United States, 2003. J Public Health Dent 2008; 68 (2): 102-10.
  6. Macek MD, Mitola DJ. Exploring the association between overweight and dental caries among U.S. children. Pediatr Dent 2006; 28 (4): 375-80.
  7. Macek MD, Wagner ML, Goodman, HS, Manz MC, Marrazzo ID. Dental visits and access to care: among Maryland schoolchildren. J Am Dent Assoc 2005; 136 (4): 524-33.
  8. Macek MD, Cohen LA, Reid BC, Manski RJ. Dental visits among older U.S. adults, 1999: The roles of dentition status and cost. J Am Dent Assoc 2004; 135 (8): 1154-62, quiz 1165.
  9. Macek MD, Wagner ML, Goodman HS, Manz MC, Marrazzo ID. Survey of oral health status of Maryland schoolchildren, 2000-2001. Pediatr Dent 2004; 26 (4): 329-36.
  10. Macek MD, Heller KE, Selwitz RH, Manz MC. Is 75 percent of dental caries really found in 25 percent of the population? J Public Health Dent 2004; 64 (1): 20-25.
  11. Macek MD, Beltran-Aguilar ED, Lockwood SA, Malvitz DM. Updated comparison of the caries susceptibility of various morphological types of permanent teeth. J Public Health Dent 2003; 63 (3): 174-82.
  12. Macek MD, Reid BC, Yellowitz JA. Oral cancer examinations among adults at high risk: findings from the 1998 National Health Interview Survey. J Public Health Dent 2003; 63 (2): 119-25.
  13. Macek MD, Manski RJ, Vargas CM, Moeller J. Comparing oral health care utilization in the United States across three nationally representative surveys. Health Services Res 2002; 37 (2): 499-521.
  14. Macek MD, Edelstein BL, Manski RJ. An analysis of dental visits in U.S. children, by category of service and sociodemographic factors, 1996.  Pediatr Dent 2001; 23 (5): 383-9.
Research Interests
  • Access to care and utilization of services
  • Dental caries surveillance
  • Oral health disparities