Abstract
Background
Professional guidelines and state Medicaid policies encourage pediatricians to provide oral health screening, anticipatory guidance, and fluoride varnish application to young patients. Because oral health activities are becoming more common in medical offices, the objective of this paper was to assess pediatricians’ attitudes and practices related to oral health and examine changes since 2008.
Methods
As part of the 2012 Periodic Survey of Fellows, a random sample of 1638 members of the American Academy of Pediatrics was surveyed on their participation in oral health promotion activities. Univariate statistics were used to examine pediatricians’ attitudes, practices, and barriers related to screening, risk assessment, counseling, topical fluoride application among patients from birth to 3 years of age. Bivariate statistics were used to examine changes since 2008.
Results
Analyses were limited to 402 pediatricians providing preventive care (51% of all respondents). The majority of respondents supported providing oral health activities in medical offices, but fewer reported engaging in these activities with most patients. Significantly more respondents agree they should apply fluoride varnish (2008=19%; 2012=41%), but only 7% report doing so with >75% of patients. Although significantly more respondents reported receiving oral health training, limited time, lack of training and billing remain barriers to delivering these services.
Conclusions
Pediatricians continue to have widespread support for, but less direct involvement with oral health activities in clinical practice. Existing methods of training should be examined to identify methods effective at increasing pediatricians’ participation in oral health activities.
Keywords: education, oral health, pediatrician, practice
Introduction
Despite improvements in oral health throughout the U.S., dental caries remains highly prevalent among preschool age children.1 Since 2000, pediatricians have become more involved in early childhood oral health promotion due to: 1) a shortage of dentists who treat young children;2 2) recognition that young children are more likely to visit medical than dental offices;3 3) payment to pediatricians for fluoride varnish application from state Medicaid programs;4 and 4) recommendations supporting pediatricians’ role in oral health promotion.5,6,7 As detailed in Bright Futures, pediatricians should begin oral health screening by the 6 month well-child visit, conduct caries risk assessment, counsel caregivers on oral health, and apply fluoride varnish to high risk children.8 Pediatricians are advised to refer children to a dentist by 1 year of age or, when faced with a limited dental workforce, continue providing preventive oral health services in the medical home until a referral is possible. With the inclusion of children’s dental care within the essential benefits package outlined in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), pediatricians will continue to play a critical role in oral health.9
In 1998, the first national oral health survey of pediatricians’ assessed providers’ knowledge, attitudes, and professional experiences.10 This survey found that pediatricians believed they have an important role in oral health, with 74% willing to apply fluoride varnish. At the time, only Medicaid programs in Washington and North Carolina paid for preventive oral health services in medical offices. In 2008, when 29 state Medicaid programs were reimbursing pediatricians for these services, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) conducted a survey examining similar constructs. Pediatricians continued to see oral health within their purview, yet few performed these activities and lack of training (41%) was reported as the most common barrier.11
A number of initiatives aimed at increasing pediatricians’ participation in oral health have been introduced since the last survey. The AAP, funded by the American Dental Association Foundation, launched Chapter Advocate Training on Oral Health in 2008 to provide oral health education to pediatricians who became Chapter Oral Health Advocates (COHA) and subsequently trained others in their states.12 Additionally, web-based training such as the AAP’s Protecting All Children’s Teeth and the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine’s Smiles for Life have been developed to help educate physicians and others about oral health. Smiles for Life, now endorsed by 13 medical and dental organizations, has seen its utilization increase seven fold since 2011, with over 130,000 life-time discrete site visitors.13,14 Furthermore, 45 state Medicaid programs currently pay physicians to apply fluoride varnish.14 Recognizing the changing landscape of oral health promotion in medical offices, this survey sought to assess AAP fellows’ attitudes and practices related to oral screening, risk assessment, counseling, topical fluoride application, and barriers to dental visits and examine changes since 2008.
Patients and Methods
Data were collected about oral health promotion practices of pediatricians as part of the AAP Periodic Survey of Fellows. The AAP conducts these surveys on topics of importance to pediatricians 3-4 times per year. Surveys are eight-page self-administered questionnaires sent to a unique random sample of non-retired U.S. AAP members. Periodic Survey #82 was sent to 1,638 AAP members between July and December 2012. Oral health assessment was one of three topics included in this survey, with questions replicated or adapted from Periodic Survey #70 which was sent to 1,618 AAP members between October 2007 and March 2008.11 For both surveys, seven mailed contacts were made to non-respondents; each contact included a cover letter, questionnaire, and a business reply envelope. The initial mailing included a $2 bill. For the 2012 survey, emails were sent to non-respondents after the second and fourth mailing, offering the option to respond electronically.
Both surveys addressed pediatricians’ attitudes, practices, and barriers related to oral health screening, risk assessment, counseling, and fluoride among patients from birth to age 3 years. Subjects were asked if they believed pediatricians should perform 11 activities related to these topics (Yes vs. No). Likert-type scales were used to assess what proportion of their patients they provided each oral health activity (collapsed to “0% to 75% vs 76% to 100% of patients”), ability to perform each activity (collapsed to “excellent/very good” vs. “good/fair/poor”), and barriers to dentist visits (collapsed to “moderate/significant barrier” vs. “somewhat/not a barrier”). Subjects were asked to provide demographic information, such as: age; gender; practice location (inner city vs. urban not inner city vs. suburban vs. rural); practice setting (solo/2-physician practice vs. group/HMO vs. hospital/clinic); hours per week providing patient care; and receipt of oral health training (medical school/residency/post-residency vs. none). Subjects provided an estimate of the percentage of patients with public health insurance (Medicaid, SCHIP, or other) within their practice that was examined as a continuous measure and then dichotomized based on the sample mean value to indicate subjects that had >41% [greater than or equal to] of patients with public health insurance.
Analyses were performed using SPSS Statistical software, version 18.0.14 Chi-squared test statistics were calculated to examine the association of respondents’ oral health activities with receipt of training (versus no training) and to compare means between results from the 2008 and 2012 survey when appropriate, with statistical significance examined at the levels of p<0.05, p<0.01, and p<0.001. Because Medicaid is the only insurer in most states to reimburse fluoride varnish in medical offices, we calculated chi-squared test statistics to examine differences in oral health-related activities between respondents with >41% of patients with public health insurance and respondents with <41% [less than] of patients with public health insurance. The AAP Institutional Review Board approved this study as exempt from human subject review.
Results
Sample characteristics
In 2012, 790 completed questionnaires were received for a response rate of 48%. To assess possible nonresponse bias, respondents and non-respondents were compared on those variables available from the AAP membership file. No significant differences were found for gender (57.0% female). Respondents were slightly older than non-respondents on average (47 years vs. 43 years, p<.001). Practice location varied significantly among respondents and non-respondents, respectively (Northeast respondents =22.5% vs. 25.0%; Midwest, 25.2% vs. 19.1%; South, 31.9% vs. 36.9%; West, 20.4% vs. 19.0%, p<.05). To ensure comparability with the 2008 Periodic Survey,11 analyses were limited to 402 post-resident pediatricians who provide preventive care (51% of all respondents, 25% (402/1638) adjusted response rate). On average, providers were 49 years of age and worked full-time in direct patient care in group practices located in suburban communities (Table 1). On average, 41.2% of respondents’ patients were publicly insured. Most respondents (76.4%) received oral health training during medical school, residency, or post-residency. During medical school or residency, oral health training for most recipients (70.4%) consisted of less than 3 hours during a seminar, lecture, grand rounds, or continuity clinic. Common types of oral health training received post-residency included: state-based in-person or online training (32.8%); training via the AAP’s Children’s Oral Health Web site and resources (27.9%); or in-person training or communication with an AAP Chapter Oral Health Advocate (22.4%).
Table 1. Characteristics of post-training respondent pediatricians who provide preventive care, 2008 and 2012.
| Variable | 2008 (N=698) Response (%) |
2012 (N=402) Response (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Mean age, y | 46.9 | 49.0 |
| Gender, % female | 54.9 | 57.4 |
| Practice location | ||
| Rural | 14.6 | 13.4 |
| Suburban | 48.3 | 48.6 |
| Urban (not inner city) | 21.7 | 22.2 |
| Inner city | 15.4 | 15.9 |
| Practice setting | ||
| Solo/2 physician | 21.1 | 16.8 |
| Group/HMO | 61.6 | 67.9 |
| Hospital/clinic | 17.3 | 15.3 |
| Estimated percentage of patients who are publicly insured | 37.5 | 41.2 |
| Average number of hours per week in direct patient care | 38.5 | 39.0 |
| Received formal education in oral healthb | ||
| No training | 64.3 | 23.6 |
| During medical school | 13.1 | 18.3 |
| During residency | 15.8 | 38.6 |
| Post-residency | 21.7 | 46.9 |
| If oral health training received post-residency (N=183), what type? | ||
| AAPs Protecting All Children’s Teeth Online Training (PACT) | a | 9.3 |
| Smiles for Life National Oral Health Curriculum | a | 8.2 |
| State-based in-person or online oral health training | a | 32.4 |
| In-person training or communication with an AAP Chapter | a | 22.4 |
| Other | a | 28.4 |
question not asked.
responses to setting of formal education in oral health are not mutually exclusive.
Oral screening and risk assessment
Although a majority of respondents agreed they should conduct caries risk assessments (75.2%), only 29.4% of respondents reported performing assessments with >75% of their patients aged birth to 3 years old, hereafter referred to as routine participation, and 33.7% rated their ability to perform assessments as “very good” or “excellent” (Table 2). When asked about identifying plaque and performing caries risk assessments, respondents with training were significantly more likely to agree they should perform these activities, report routine participation, and rate their ability as “very good” or “excellent” (Table 3). Since 2008, the percent of pediatricians reporting barriers to screening and risk assessment activities declined, although most were not statistically significant (Table 4). Additionally, for approximately one-third of respondents, inadequate time during visits, lack of ability to bill for assessments or fluoride varnish, and lack of training remain “moderate” to “significant” barriers to providing oral health assessments during well-child visits with patients ≤3 years of age (Table 4).
Table 2. Pediatricians’ participation in oral health activities, 2008 to 2012: Opinions, activities and perceived ability.
| Agree they should perform activity (%) | Report they perform activity at least once with >75% patients (%) | Rate ability to perform activity as “very good” or “excellent” (%) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 2012 | 2008 | 2012 | 2008 | 2012 | |
| Oral screening and risk assessment | ||||||
| Identify teeth with dental caries | 91.4 | 87.3* | 46.8 | 50 | 41.4 | 38.7 |
| Identify plaque | 64.7 | 65.3 | a | 22.9 | 21.3 | 21.3 |
| Perform caries risk assessment | a | 75.2 | a | 29.4 | a | 33.7 |
| Parental counseling | ||||||
| Inform parents on how to brush children’s teeth correctly | 84.9 | 82.5 | 38.5 | 41.6 | 52.5 | 54.2 |
| Inform parents on the oral health effects of putting child to bed with bottle | 99.2 | 99.2 | 72.5 | 76.1 | 89 | 92.6 |
| Inform parents on the oral health effects of sugary food/drink | 97.3 | 97.6 | 63.8 | 74.9*** | 83.4 | 91.3 |
| Ask about parents’ own oral health | 32.5 | 39.5* | 17.5 | 5.9*** | 18.4 | 17.1b |
| Fluoride | ||||||
| Apply or have your staff apply fluoride varnish | 19.2 | 41.2*** | 3 | 7.4** | 7.6 | 18.9*** |
| Bill for fluoride varnish application for eligible patients | a | a | a | 14.4 | a | a |
| Assess whether fluoride supplements are needed/what dose | a | 88 | a | 20.5 | a | a |
| Recommend when to begin using fluoride toothpaste | a | 95.2 | a | 60.6 | a | 72.8 |
| Ask families about fluoride status of home water supply | a | 90.7 | a | 53.2 | a | 66.3 |
Indicates p-value on chi-squared test statistic used to examine changes since 2008 is significant at level of:
p<0.05,
p<0.01, or
p<0.001.
question not asked.
Table 3. Association of oral health training and pediatricians’ participation in oral health activities, 2012.
| Agree they should perform activity | Report they perform activity at least once with >75% patients | Rate ability to perform activity as “very good” or ”excellent” | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| ||||||||||||
| Oral health training | No training | Oral health training | No training | Oral health training | No training | |||||||
|
| ||||||||||||
| Oral screening and risk assessment | N= | (%) | N= | (%) | N= | (%) | N= | (%) | N= | (%) | N= | (%) |
|
|
||||||||||||
| Identify teeth with dental caries | 288 | (88.9) | 89 | (82.0) | 297 | (50.8) | 92 | (45.7) | 297 | (41.4) | 92 | (28.3)* |
| Identify plaque | 287 | (69.0) | 89 | (53.0)** | 297 | (25.9) | 93 | (12.9)** | 296 | (23.7) | 91 | (13.2)* |
| Perform caries risk assessment | 281 | (78.7) | 84 | (63.1)*** | 290 | (32.8) | 91 | (17.6) | 294 | (37.1) | 89 | (20.2)** |
| Parental counseling | ||||||||||||
| Inform parents on how to brush children’s teeth correctly | 287 | (83.6) | 89 | (78.7) | 297 | (43.1) | 92 | (35.9) | 294 | (55.8) | 91 | (48.4) |
| Inform parents on the oral health effects of putting child to bed with bottle | 290 | (99.0) | 88 | (100) | 298 | (75.2) | 93 | (79.6) | 297 | (93.3) | 92 | (90.2) |
| Inform parents on the oral health effects of sugary food/drink | 288 | (97.9) | 89 | (96.6) | 295 | (74.2) | 92 | (76.1) | 295 | (92.2) | 92 | (88.0) |
| Ask about parents’ own oral health | 281 | (41.6) | 87 | (33.3) | 298 | (6.4) | 92 | (3.3) | 287 | (18.1) | 91 | (13.2) |
| Fluoride | ||||||||||||
| Apply or have your staff apply fluoride varnish | 280 | (43.2) | 86 | (33.7) | 297 | (8.4) | 92 | (4.4) | 282 | (21.3) | 85 | (9.4)* |
| Assess whether fluoride supplements are needed/what dose | 288 | (89.2) | 84 | (83.3) | 296 | (21.0) | 92 | (18.5) | 296 | (60.5) | 89 | (55.1) |
| Recommend when to begin using fluoride toothpaste | 287 | (95.8) | 87 | (93.1) | 294 | (62.2) | 91 | (53.9) | 295 | (73.2) | 89 | (70.8) |
| Ask families about fluoride status of home water supply | 287 | (92.0) | 87 | (86.2) | 294 | (53.1) | 92 | (53.3) | 294 | (66.0) | 89 | (66.3) |
Indicates p-value on chi-squared test statistic is significant at level of:
p<0.05,
p<0.01, or
p<0.001.
Table 4.
Pediatricians’ reported moderate to significant barriers to providing oral health activities, over time
| 2008 (%) | 2012 (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of ability to bill for oral health assessments | 33.5 | 33.7 |
| Lack of professional training | 40.9 | 35.4 |
| Inadequate time during health supervision visits | 35 | 28.8* |
| Lack of ability to bill for fluoride varnish | 46.7 | 33.1* |
| Patients’ lack of dental insurance/inability to pay for care | 76.3 | 76.4 |
| Parents not perceiving dental visits as necessary | 51.7 | 49.9 |
| Other Barriers | ||
| Too few dentists to see publicly insured children ≤3 years | a | 73.1 |
| Too few dentists to see publicly insured children >3 years | a | 61.5 |
Indicates p-value on chi-squared test statistic used to examine changes since 2008 is significant at level of:
p<0.05,
p<0.01, or
p<0.001.
question not asked in 2008.
Parental counseling
Nearly all respondents agreed they should counsel parents about putting a child to bed with a bottle (99.2%) and the oral health effects of sugar (97.6%) and reported their ability to do so as “very good” or “excellent” (92.6% and 91.3%, respectively); however, only about 75% reported routinely counseling parents on these topics (Table 2). Less than half of respondents agreed they should ask parents about their own oral health (39.5%) and only 5.9% reported routinely providing this counseling (Table 2). Since 2008, providers reported being significantly more likely to discuss the oral health effects of sugar (2008=63.8%; 2012=74.9%), but less likely to routinely ask parents about their own oral health (2008=17.5%; 2012=5.9%) (Table 4).
Topical fluoride application
In 2012, almost half (41.2%) of respondents agreed that pediatricians should apply fluoride varnish, yet only 7.4% report doing so at least once with >75% of their patients (Table 2). Increases were observed in pediatricians’ agreement they should apply fluoride varnish (2008=19.2%; 2012=41.2%) and reported engagement in the activity with >75% of patients (2008=3.0%; 2012=7.4%) (Table 2). However, only 7.6%; of respondents in 2008 and 18.9% in 2012 described their ability to apply varnish as “very good” or “excellent;” the percentage rating their ability highly has increased over time. In 2012, respondents were significantly more likely to report being “very good” or “excellent” at varnish application if they had received training (Table 3). Responses to questions added in 2012 indicate most respondents agreed that pediatricians should inquire about families’ access to fluoridated drinking water (90.7%) and knowledge about when to use fluoride toothpaste (95.2%) (Table 2). However, fewer respondents reported routinely engaging in these activities (53.2% and 60.6%, respectively).
Barriers to an age 1 dental visit
The mean reported age pediatricians believed a healthy child should have their first dental visit was 2.1 years, with the current mean age of patients actually having their first dentist visits reported at 2.8 years. “Moderate” to “significant” barriers to dentist visits reported by respondents included parents not perceiving dental visits as necessary (49.9%) and patients’ lack of dental insurance and/or inability to pay for care (76.4%). Furthermore, most respondents indicated too few dentists to see publicly insured children aged ≤3 years (73.1%) and >3 years of age (61.5%) (Table 4).
Percentage of patients with public health insurance and pediatricians’ participation in oral health activities
Among respondents aware of their patients’ insurance source (n=343), 44.3% (n=152) had ≥41% publicly insured patients. We compared all variables listed in Table 2 and present in Table 5 variables that were statistically different for respondents with ≥41% publicly insured patients and respondents with ≤41% publicly insured patients. Compared to respondents with fewer publicly insured patients, respondents with ≥41% publicly insured patients were significantly more likely to agree pediatricians should apply varnish (52% versus 34%), report applying (15% versus 2%) and billing for varnish (24% versus 6%), and report their ability to apply varnish as “very good” or “excellent” (29% versus 11%). Respondents with ≥41% publicly insured patients were significantly less likely to routinely recommend when to begin using fluoride toothpaste (69% versus 50%).
Table 5.
Association of percentage of patients with public health insurance and pediatricians’ participation in oral health activities, 2012 (%)
| Have <41% patients with public health insurance (n=191) | Have ≥41% patients with public health insurance (n=152) | |
|---|---|---|
| Oral screening and risk assessment | ||
| Reports performing caries risk assessment to >75% of patients | 25.8* | 37.0 |
| Parental counseling | ||
| Agrees pediatricians should ask about parents oral health | 29.8*** | 50.7 |
| Rates ability to ask about parents oral health as “very good” or “excellent” | 12.7*** | 27.1 |
| Fluoride | ||
| Agrees pediatricians should apply fluoride varnish | 34.3** | 51.8 |
| Reports applying fluoride varnish to >75% of patients | 1.6*** | 15.7 |
| Rates ability to apply fluoride varnish as “very good” or “excellent” | 11.3*** | 29.1 |
| Reports billing for fluoride varnish for >75% of patients | 6.2*** | 24.1 |
| Recommends when to begin using fluoride toothpaste to >75% of patients | 69.0*** | 50.4 |
Chi-squared tests were used to examine differences between respondents with ≥41% of patients with public health insurance and >41% of patients with public health insurance
(p<0.05,
p<0.01,
p<0.001).
Only variables from Table 2 that differed significantly by percent publicly insured are presented here.
Discussion
Consistent with previous surveys, this national survey of pediatricians found support for preventive oral health activities in medical offices. Respondents agreed they should identify caries and provide counseling on oral hygiene practices and diet. Since 2008, more pediatricians agree they should apply fluoride varnish (2008=19%; 2012=41%). Despite agreement that oral health activities should occur during medical visits, pediatricians’ participation in these activities continues to be limited. With the recent U.S. Preventive Services Task Force encouraging primary care medical providers to apply fluoride varnish to all children, identifying strategies to increase pediatricians’ participation in oral health remains an important issue. 7
Prior research has suggested that lack of training may serve as a barrier to pediatricians’ engagement in oral health activities.11, 17 A 2009 survey of U.S. medical schools reported that 59.1% of responding schools offered between 1 and 4 hours of oral health training and few addressed caries (~45%) or included hands-on training (~11%).16 In a study of approximately 90 third-year medical students in Massachusetts a half day training session that included didactic and hands-on experiences based on the Smiles for Life curriculum improved baseline oral health knowledge when assessed immediately after the training session and declining somewhat after six months.14,19 Compared to the 2008 survey, we found that more pediatricians’ reported receiving oral health training during medical school, residency, and post-residency. Despite more attention to training, 50% of respondents reported routinely identifying caries, about 30% reported routinely conducting oral screenings and only 7% routinely apply fluoride varnish. Receipt of any oral health training was infrequently associated with routine performance of oral health activities, as most pediatricians report supporting oral health activities, training should focus on how to increase participation.
A meta-analysis of continuing medical education (CME) interventions indicated that the most effective interventions used multiple methods, were interactive, and focused on a small group of physicians from the same specialty.20 A national study reported that pediatricians’ engagement in oral health activities was influenced by hands-on experience, relationships with local dentists, and contact with other oral health advocates.12 Research suggests that physician practices can be altered with decision support tools that reinforce guidelines and new skills.21-23 Caries-risk assessment tools designed for pediatricians that attempt to identify children with caries or at high risk of developing caries may help bolster participation in and pediatricians’ confidence in performing oral health activities.24,26 Similarly, quality improvement (QI) initiatives such as the recently introduced Education and Quality Improvement in Pediatric Practice (EQIPP) oral health module, may help increase provider participation in oral health via a QI activity that also meets Maintenance of Certification Part 4 of the American Boards of Pediatrics.27
Expanding the role of pediatric clinic ancillary staff in oral health promotion may help increase oral health activities and other preventive initiatives. Smiles for Life provides a variety of online oral health training modules specific to the roles of physicians, pediatricians, nurses, physician assistants, and midwives. Additionally, nurses and clerical staff could potentially increase practice engagement in oral health activities through process improvement methods. Because research suggests that reminders provided to physicians prior to visits can improve performance of preventive care services, staff could tag medical records of children eligible for fluoride varnish before visits to remind physicians.28 Additionally, a “ champion” (i.e., an individual who promotes and builds support for oral health activities) may be critical for bringing about change within individual practices.29,30
Pediatricians who received oral health training from the AAP (COHAs), reported that state policies and payment affected their participation in oral health activities.12 At the state-level, requirements for Medicaid payment of fluoride varnish application range from nothing in 8 states to a mandatory 90 minute CME course in North Carolina.4,31 In Massachusetts, although few providers received oral health training, those who did had significantly greater odds of higher knowledge and more positive attitudes regarding fluoride varnish application.17 Further study of training requirements and resources utilized by states with a high percentage of eligible children receiving preventive oral health services from non-dentists (e.g., Iowa, North Carolina, and Washington) could help to identify successful strategies to increase pediatricians’ engagement.
In most states, Medicaid is the only insurer paying physicians for fluoride application and many programs limit these benefits to young children. Therefore, the 14.4% of respondents in the 2012 survey who report billing for fluoride application for the majority of eligible patients may provide a more accurate measure of engagement. We observed that 52% of respondents who had a higher percentage than the sample average number of patients with public health insurance (≥42%) reported routinely applying varnish compared to 34% of respondents with fewer publicly insured patients, suggesting not surprisingly that reimbursement encourages application. While the recent US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation of universal fluoride varnish application is likely to increase fluoride varnish use, lack of reimbursement from nearly all private health insurers may remain a barrier. Engagement in other oral health promotion activities that are not generally reimbursed by Medicaid, such as counseling, were not affected by the percentage of publicly insured patients within a practice, suggesting that reimbursement for varnish alone may not improve participation in all oral health promotion activities.
Since 2008, significantly fewer respondents reported a lack of ability to bill for fluoride varnish as a “moderate/significant” barrier to providing oral health assessments during health supervision visits with patients <3 years old (2008=46.7%; 2012=33.1%), a time period that coincided with 29 state Medicaid programs beginning to reimburse pediatricians for fluoride application.15 Although most state Medicaid programs pay for fluoride application, less than 10 separately pay for oral health anticipatory guidance and/or screening. Furthermore, pediatricians have reported the inability to bill for and provide these services to all patients, regardless of insurance type, as an ethical dilemma and barrier to providing care.12 The inclusion of preventive oral health services within the ACA’s essential benefits package may help to alleviate this barrier.
Participation in oral health counseling varied by the topic addressed. From 2008 to 2012, there was an 11.1 percentage point increase in respondents who reported routinely informing parents of the oral health effects of sugary food and drink, suggesting pediatricians may be encouraged to counsel parents if one message targets multiple diseases (e.g., caries and obesity). However, less than 40% of respondents agreed that pediatricians should ask about parents’ own oral health, possibly reflecting a lack of knowledge about the risk of vertical transmission of bacteria from mothers to children. Tools developed for use by pediatricians to assess children’s caries risk include both clinical and behavioral risk factors, which capture the multifactorial process of dental caries. A study of one risk assessment tool used in a population of young children enrolled in Medicaid found that physicians identified more behavioral risk factors than clinical risk factors and that physicians were more likely to recommend dental referrals for children with family history dental problems, suggesting that parental counseling may inform and enhance referrals.25
Dental referrals are likely to be affected by the availability of dentists in the community. Most pediatricians reported too few dentists were available to see young, publicly-insured children, a group at high risk for developing caries. Another barrier to care coordination is the discrepant recommendations from medical and dental professional associations about the timing of a first dental visit. The AAPD and AAP recommend an age 1 dental visit, but the AAP acknowledges this timing depends on dentist availability.5, 6 Respondents reported the mean age that healthy children should have their first dental visit at 2.1 years, but estimated that the mean age of actual visits was 2.8 years based on the availability of current dental resources in their community. Lacking consistent recommendations, care coordination and young children’s access to dental care may suffer.
This study has limitations, including possible response bias if respondents provided socially desirable responses rather than their true experience. We recognize that a 4 to 5 year timeframe between surveys may not fully capture changes in training, particularly in medical schools. However, we did see an increase in oral health training throughout all settings. Additionally, our findings may have limited generalizability for pediatricians who are not members of the AAP and due to the low survey response rate, although our response rate is comparable with rates from other studies examining physicians’ oral health practices and AAP surveys have been shown to have minimal response bias.32-34 Finally, examination of bivariate associations provide information about correlation, but do not adjust for additional factors that may help to explain outcomes.
Conclusion
Pediatricians support providing oral health activities in medical offices. Although the number of pediatricians receiving oral health training has grown, research is needed to identify how best to train pediatricians so that they are more confident engaging in these activities and more children receive quality preventive oral health services. Additional research should examine the varying state-level training requirements and payment, which may affect pediatricians’ participation.
What’s New.
National surveys have noted pediatricians’ support for, but limited engagement in oral health. This study updates the progress made regarding pediatricians’ oral health attitudes and practices since 2008, to help inform strategies to increase delivery of preventive oral health services.
Acknowledgments
This study was supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the AAP. Dr. Kranz received support from a NIH NRSA T90 Training Grant (Grant no. NIH/NIDCR 5T90DE021986-03).
Abbreviations
- AAP
American Academy of Pediatrics
- AAPD
American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
- ADA
American Dental Association
Footnotes
Author’s Criteria/Contribution Statement
Rocio B. Quinonez: Dr Quinonez conceptualized the study and drafted the manuscript with Dr Kranz. She also approved the final manuscript as submitted.
Ashley M. Kranz: Dr Kranz drafted the manuscript with Dr Quinonez and provided additional data analysis. She also approved the final manuscript as submitted.
Charlotte W. Lewis: Dr Lewis conceptualized the study, designed the data collection instruments, reviewed the manuscript and approved the final manuscript as submitted.
Lauren Barone: Ms Barone designed the data collection instruments, reviewed and revised the manuscript and approved the final manuscript as submitted.
Suzanne Boulter: Dr Boulter reviewed and revised the manuscript and approved the final manuscript as submitted.
Karen G. O’Connor: Ms O’Connor designed the data collection instruments, coordinated and supervised data collection, completed the data analysis, reviewed and revised the manuscript, and approved the final manuscript as submitted.
Martha Ann Keels: Dr Keels reviewed and revised the manuscript and approved the final manuscript as submitted.
Financial Disclosure: None
Conflict of Interest: None
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