A new trial funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) found that primary care pediatric clinicians could have an influence on more children going to the dentist and improving their oral health.
The study revealed that children’s dental visits increased when primary care providers spoke with parents about the importance of oral health, performed quick exams, and provided dental referrals during an annual checkup.
“Since children from all backgrounds go to well-care visits, we thought we’d use these checkups as opportunities,” said epidemiologist Suchitra Nelson, who led the research. “By having primary care providers address dental and oral healthcare, it sends a powerful message to parents on the importance of following up with a dentist.”
When conducting the study, the research team provided a group of 63 pediatric clinicians with some oral health care education, had them keep an electronic record of their findings, and provide referrals to a dentist. Half of the children followed during the research received the wellness appointments that involved the oral health components while the other half received typical appointments.
By the third year of the trial, data showed that the children in the appointments mentioning oral health were 34% more likely to visit a dentist than children in the control group. The oral health intervention group also tended to have fewer decayed teeth, demonstrating how important primary care clinicians are to aiding children’s oral health.
