Recent research has looked to see if there is a connection between enhanced oral health support from a primary care clinician and the frequency of visits to the dentist. While most children visit a primary care clinician, not everyone goes to the dentist. A research team sought to find out if this could be changed through more oral health support during primary care visits.
New research has looked at a potential relationship between enhanced oral health support from a primary care clinician and the frequency of visits to the dentist [1].
This is an interesting combination, with these two areas having never been studied together before. While they both represent healthcare visits, more people visit primary care clinicians than dental clinics.
Such subject areas are very important, as more work is needed to help improve the state of oral health in children.
Background
Primary care pediatric clinicians refer to health workers that offer first-contact care. Pediatric clinicians are those that work with children.
Parents often take their children to primary care pediatric clinicians for things like general queries, minor injuries or childhood vaccinations.
However, not everyone visits the dentist. For example, research shows that approximately 81% of American children aged 1-17 go to the dentist [2]. While this is a high number, this still means a large number do not visit.
The oral health of children is always a key topic. This is especially the case for children from low-income households, with research showing they are at a higher risk of oral health problems.
For example, one study found that 17% of preschool-aged children from low-income households have untreated cavities in their baby teeth. This is three times more than children from higher-income families [3].
By having strong attendance at dental clinics during childhood, it can help children to build long-term positive habits. Therefore, improving attendance is a key goal for health organizations.
The Research
The research was undertaken by a team at the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine. Their findings were published in JAMA Network Open [1].
The authors of the study noted that nearly all children at some point will see a primary care clinician [1]. Therefore, they wanted to see if they could use these visits to promote oral health.
63 pediatric clinicians were recruited. These clinicians were provided with oral health-related education and skills training – which included identifying signs of decay in children’s teeth, navigating an electronic health record, advising parents, and providing a dental referral [1].
The study involved 1,023 children. These participants and their parents were followed over a three-year period. These children were all enrolled in Medicaid, with most coming from a low-income family [1].
About half of the children received a standard medical wellness visit. The other half received a medical wellness service, but were also provided with an oral health intervention [1]. These visits followed the same pattern over a three-year period.
At the end of the three years, the researchers asked if the children had been to see the dentist. The results showed that 52% of children that had received the oral health intervention had visited a dentist. However, in the group that just received the standard service, only 43% of children had visited the dentist [1].
Therefore, the researchers were able to conclude that children who receive oral health intervention during a wellness visit are 34% more likely to visit the dentist [1].
This represents a large number, and underlines the effectiveness of oral health being discussed by primary care clinicians.
Moreover, those that had received the oral health advice had fewer untreated decayed teeth compared to their counterparts [1]. Therefore, there are clearly a range of benefits.
Summary
Overall, the researchers found that when primary care clinicians were able to talk to parents about oral health, dental visits subsequently increased [1].
The researchers suggested that improving childhood dental attendance could help to reduce untreated tooth decay and oral health disparities in disadvantaged communities [1].
A key takeaway from the research is that pediatric clinicians should be trained to talk about oral health in more detail, as it clearly has a positive impact.
It also underlines the importance of integrating oral and physical health advice together. There is a clear link between oral and physical health.
On this idea of integration, Jennifer Webster-Cyriaque – Deputy Director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research – says that “by bridging these disciplines, dental and medical providers can work better together to reach all children” – which can help “to improve children’s health” [4].
Primary care clinicians can certainly have a positive impact on the oral health of children. Hopefully, enhanced training can take place, which can benefit the health of many children.
Thinking points…
1) Do you have children? If so, remember it is crucial to visit the dentist regularly! As discussed earlier, taking children to the dentist from a young age can help them to instil strong habits which can boost their long-term oral health. Therefore, we recommend that they see a dentist regularly. You could book an appointment for them now!
2) Remember that it isn’t just children that need to receive regular oral healthcare! It is very important that adults attend regular dental check-ups. These provide the chance for a dentist to take a look at your oral health, look for any issues, and provide treatment if needed. We recommend that you book an appointment now!
What we offer at Savanna Dental
Savanna Dental is a dental clinic based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. We provide our patients with a range of treatment options and advice, with the aim of improving oral health and boosting overall wellbeing!
We advise our patients to attend our Calgary-based dental clinic twice a year for a dental check-up. If any problems are detected, we have many treatments available. For instance, these include cavity fillings and root canals. To try and prevent problems, it is important to brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss regularly.
Here at Savanna Dental, we also have some cosmetic treatments available! These include dental implants, tooth whitening and Invisalign™! Our patients find that these treatments have a positive impact on their appearance, confidence and self-esteem.
In addition, the fees of our services at our Calgary dental clinic Savanna Dental are set in line with the Alberta Dental Fee Guide.
We would love you to visit our Savanna Dental clinic in Calgary! You can find out more about us by visiting our website https://savannadentalclinic.ca/!
References
[1] Nelson, S., Albert, J. M., & Selvaraj, D. (2024). Multilevel Interventions and Dental Attendance in Pediatric Primary Care. JAMA Network Open. 7 (7): e2418217. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.18217.
[2] National Center for Health Statistics. (2021). Dental Care Utilization Among Children Aged 1–17 Years: United States, 2019 and 2020. Available: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db424.htm. Last accessed: 12th July 2024.
[3] McMains, V. (2024). Dental Visits Increase with Support from Pediatric Providers. Available: https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/news-events/nidcr-news/2024/dental-visits-increase-support-pediatric-providers. Last accessed: 12th July 2024.
[4] Case Western Reserve University. (2024). Dental visits found to increase with support from pediatric providers. Available: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-07-dental-pediatric.html. Last accessed: 12th July 2024.
