Table 3.

Physicians' General Oral Health Knowledge, Experience, and Attitudes, by Preventive Dental Care Skills Training

	Weighted %
Should physicians perform the following during well-child visits (WCVs)?	Strongly agree/agree (not trained)	Strongly agree/agree (trained)	p-Value
Referral to a dentist by 12 months of age	14.7	30.2	.04
Referral to a dentist by 3 years of age	88.4	90.7	.59
Routine assessment for early signs of cavities during the physical exam	81.2	90.0	.06
Counseling on the prevention of cavities	88.6	91.8	.44
During a WCV for a child<5 years, how likely are you to do each of the following?	Percent responding very likely/likely (not trained)	Percent responding very likely/likely (trained)
Assess a child's fluoride intake to determine the need for supplementation	74.6	69.0	.47
Counsel parents on preventing cavities in their children (e.g., tooth brushing, fluoride)	87.6	87.9	.95
Inquire whether a child is taking a bottle to bed	83.2	90.2	.13
Examine and identify early signs of tooth decay	81.2	84.8	.50
Inquire about the mother's dental health	11.7	11.6	.98
Perceived barriers to dental access for MassHealth patients	Strongly agree/agree (not trained)	Strongly agree/agree (trained)
There is a lack of local dentists who see very young children	56.6	68.2	.13
There is a lack of local dentists accepting MassHealth	72.4	66.3	.40
Parents do not feel their young children need to see a dentist	47.0	61.1	.08
There are long wait times to see the dentist	33.4	39.5	.45
Family logistics play an important role (e.g., transportation, distance)	57.2	65.1	.30
Dental referrals take too much of my time to explain/set up	10.5	22.0	.08