Online Program

289766
A retrospective review of children's oral health outcomes from school-based dental programs in hudson, New York


Sunday, November 3, 2013

Rachel Hill, BA, MPH, Department of Global Outreach, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY
Christopher Tung, M.A., Department of Global Outreach, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY
Alison Kurtz, MPH, Department of Global Outreach, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY
Danielle Becker, BS, 421 First Avenue, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY
Amber Watters, DDS, MPH, Special Patient Care, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY
Objective: In 2009, New York University College of Dentistry (NYUCD) initiated school-based health center dental programs (SBHC-D) at two public schools in Hudson, New York, to increase access to pediatric dental services in the community. The goals of the SBHC-Ds were to demonstrate an alternative model for delivery of care in a school-based setting that could be replicated in other underserved areas and to decrease caries.

Methods: A team of NYUCD dentists visited the SBHC-Ds four times per year to offer preventive services and comprehensive dental treatment to all children in two schools using portable dental equipment. Data were gathered retrospectively via chart review.

Results: A total of 568 children utilized the SBHC-D at least once over the course of the three-year program, ranging from one to 11 dental visits. Overall caries prevalence was 23 percent at baseline versus 7 percent at the final SBHC-D visit. In each full academic year, there was no significant difference in caries incidence among children with three or more dental visits when compared with two visits (Year 1: OR= -0.231, 95%CI 0.609-1.034; Year 2: OR=0.99, 95%CI 0.880-1.387), regardless of baseline caries status.

Conclusion: While overall caries prevalence decreased, the number of patient visits per child per year had no significant effect on the likelihood that a child would develop new decay. Children with fewer dental visits in a year were not more likely to have decay than their counterparts with more dental visits, but the SBHC-D increased regular access to dental services.

Learning Areas:

Other professions or practice related to public health
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs

Learning Objectives:
Evaluate whether the number of dental visits per year affects the incidence of new caries for children

Keyword(s): Oral Health Outcomes, Access to Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the director of multiple children's school-based dental programs in the USA and a co-investigator on a national preventive oral health intervention for 26,000 children in Grenada. I was a member of the research team that coordinated the study being presented.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.