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

• 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
• ISSN: 1942-5473

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.