Co-Locating Dental Hygienists in Primary Care Offices: Baseline Early Childhood Caries Prevalence and Parent Oral Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs and Behaviors

Objectives: To 1)co-locate registered dental hygienists(RDH) into Colorado medical practices serving poor children; 2)measure baseline early childhood caries(ECC) prevalence in young children(0-36 months); and 3)describe parent/caregiver oral health knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors(KABB). Methods: Prospective cohort study. Five primary care medical practices serving poor children at high risk for ECC were selected for co-location. RDHs were formally calibrated to assess ECC. RDHs visually measured baseline ECC using a light/no probing. A hand-written survey (English and Spanish) measured parent/caregiver oral health-related KABBs and sociodemographic characteristics. Study outcomes:surface precavities/cavities and parental/caregiver KABBs. Results: Five co-located RDHs have seen 410 children in medical practices (mean age: 18 months(range 6-36) and 75%Medicaid/CHP+). Eleven percent of children had baseline precavities(9%) and cavities(3%). Most patients had never seen a dentist (reported by 95%). Reported barriers to getting dental care included cost(41%), finding a dentist who took their insurance(38%), and their child being afraid(27%). Forty-three percent of parents/caregivers reported being told by medical provider that their child should see a dental provider; 27% were told this by dental provider. Parents/caregivers agreed that dental health is important to overall health (reported by 93%); that dental care in the medical setting is convenient(99%); and they would be more likely to take their child to a dental provider in a medical office than in the community(91%). Conclusions: Co-locating RDHs into medical practices that serve young children at high ECC risk is viewed favorably by parents/caregivers and provides dental access to young children not yet seen by a dental provider.