The Role of the Pediatrician in the Oral Health of Children: A National Survey

作者：Charlotte W. Lewis, David C. Grossman, Peter K. Domoto, Richard A. Deyo · 发表于：PEDIATRICS · 年份：2000 · DOI：10.1542/peds.106.6.e84 · 被引用次数：316 · 研究领域：Dental Health and Care Utilization、Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations、Oral microbiology and periodontitis research

OBJECTIVES: To assess pediatricians' knowledge, attitudes, and professional experience regarding oral health, and to determine willingness to incorporate fluoride varnish into their practices. BACKGROUND: Poor and minority children suffer disproportionately from dental caries and have limited access to dental care. In a recent analysis of national survey data, the General Accounting Office reported that poor children had 5 times more untreated decay than did children from higher income families. Untreated decay can lead to problems with eating, speaking, and attending to learning. Children who are poor suffer 12 times the number of restricted activity days because of dental problems, compared with more affluent children. Despite higher rates of dental decay, poor children had one half the number of dental visits compared with higher income children in 1996. Medicaid's Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) program is intended to provide regular dental screenings and appropriate treatment but has apparently played a limited role in improving access to dental care for poor children. According to a report by the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, only 20% of children under 21 years of age, who were enrolled in Medicaid and eligible for EPSDT, actually received preventive dental services. By increasing their involvement in oral health prevention during well-child care visits, pediatricians may be able to play an impor...