Assessing Barriers to Community Pediatric Dental Needs

Introduction. Dental carries is the most common chronic disease in children. Untreated cavities can lead to serious health consequences. Most childhood dental problems are preventable. The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile (RMCM) is a traveling dental clinic providing care for Vermont's underserved children, but utilization during its first year of operation was much lower than predicted. Objective. Investigate barriers to accessing dental care by Vermont children, with particular regard to the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile. Methods. A survey assessing satisfaction with the RMCM and attitudes toward pediatric dental care was distributed to all parents at two schools currently served. A telephone interview was conducted with school nurses at all 15 schools served by the RMCM. A survey was collected from Vermont dentists regarding the RMCM and pediatric dental care. Pediatricians were surveyed to assess their interest in future involvement with the RMCM. Results. Most of the parents surveyed (82.3%, n=96) said their child visited the dentist every 6 months in the past five years and indicated they would not consider having their children seen by the RMCM (71%, n=93). The majority of pediatricians surveyed believe there is a use for the RMCM in their community (86.7%, n=19). The majority of dentists (64.6%, n=65) see a role for the RMCM in Vermont, mostly for education and screening. Conclusions. The RMCM was successful in reaching a large proportion of underserved children in target schools. Our collaborative approach can be used to further improve access to dental care in rural communities.