Does the Texas First Dental Home Program Improve Parental Oral Care Knowledge and Practices?

This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Texas Medicaid First Dental Home (FDH) by comparing the oral health knowledge, practices, and opinions of participating vs. non-participating parents. A 29-question survey (English & Spanish) was developed and administered to 165 parents of children...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Pediatric dentistry Vol. 39; no. 2; p. 124
Main Authors:	Thompson, Charmaine L, McCann, Ann L, Schneiderman, Emet D
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	United States 15-03-2017
Subjects:	Child, Preschool Dental Care for Children Dental Health Surveys Female Health Education, Dental Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Humans Infant Male Medicaid Parents Texas United States
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Summary:	This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Texas Medicaid First Dental Home (FDH) by comparing the oral health knowledge, practices, and opinions of participating vs. non-participating parents. A 29-question survey (English & Spanish) was developed and administered to 165 parents of children under three years old (FDH=49, Non-FDH=116) who visited qualifying Medicaid clinics in Texas. Mann Whitney U tests showed that FDH parents scored higher on overall knowledge (P=0.001) and practice scores (P<0.001). FDH parents responded correctly more often than non-FDH about the recommended amount of toothpaste for toddlers (P<0.001). More FDH parents knew tap water was a potential source of fluoride (P<0.001). The FDH parents scored marginally higher about when a child should have the first dental visit (P=0.051). More Non-FDH parents let their child go to sleep with a bottle, sippy cup or pacifier (P<0.001). FDH visits are having a positive impact on Texas parents by increasing their oral healthcare knowledge and practices. This is the first step towards improving the oral health of children.
ISSN:	1942-5473