Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #108671

Nancy R. Kressin, PhD, Center for Health Quality, Outcomes, & Economic Research (CHQOER), Department of Veterans Affairs & Boston University School of Public Health, 200 Springs Road, Bedford, MA 01730, Martha Nunn, DDS, PhD, Department of Health Policy and Health Services Research, Boston University School of Dental Medicine, 715 Albany Street, 560, 3rd floor, Boston, MA 02118, Catherine Hayes, DMD, DMSc, Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology, Harvard University School of Dental Medicine, 188 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, Harpreet K. Singh, RDH, MS, Department of Health Policy & Health Services Research, Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston University, 715 Albany Street, 560, Rm. 323, Boston, MA 02118, Corinna S. Culler, RDH, MPH, Department of Health Policy & Health Services Research, Boston University, Goldman School of Dental Medicine, 715 Albany Street, 560, Room 326, Boston, MA 02118-2526, 617-638-4918, cculler@bu.edu, and Michelle Henshaw, DMD, MPH, Department of Health Policy and Health Services Research, Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine, 715 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118-2526.

Objectives: ECC is a serious yet preventable disease. Because children see pediatricians and nurses long before they see a dentist, these medical providers can provide the necessary counseling to parents/caregivers to reduce ECC risk. Methods: Counseling practices of pediatricians and nurses to reduce ECC risk among 536 children seen for well-child visits at two Boston hospitals were examined. One site (Site A) received a counseling training intervention, while the other (Site B) did not. Parents/caregivers were interviewed about their discussion with the medical providers. Results: Overall, 52% of the sample of children was male; 27% White, 66% Black, and 6.5% Asian. 2% of the sample were aged less than 1, 55% were 1-2 years, 27% were 2-3 years and 15% were 3-5 years. Generally, Site A demonstrated greater medical provider knowledge of ECC and its prevention. 18% of providers at Site A vs. 8% at Site B explained what causes cavities; 22% vs. 3% explained what cavities are; 18% vs. 8% explained how to prevent cavities; 54% vs. 30% discussed cleaning the child's teeth every night to prevent cavities; 26% vs. 13% discussed using a toothpaste with fluoride; 29% vs. 5% discussed monitoring childrens' teeth for spots; 39% vs. 25% discussed limiting bottle or sippy cup use (all p's <.01). Conclusion: Training pediatric clinicians to counsel parents about reducing ECC risk can increase their rates of counseling and educating parents/caregivers about reducing ECC risk, although all rates of counseling were relatively low.

Learning Objectives:

• 1.Evaluate if training can increase pediatric medical providers’ counseling about early childhood caries risk.
• 2.Recognize that physicians and nurses can provide counseling about early childhood caries and its risk factors.
• 3.Assess the improvement in medical provider knowledge of early childhood caries and its prevention after a counseling training intervention.

Keywords: Oral Health, Pediatrics

Related Web page: www.creedd.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.