Changing the education paradigm in pediatric dentistry.

Traditional curricula of pediatric dental residency programs have overemphasized restorative dentistry while failing to give adequate attention to early diagnosis, preventive disease management, risk assessment, cultural competency, advocacy, community partnerships and interprofessional education. The University of California, Los Angeles, Community Health and Advocacy Training Program in Pediatric Dentistry emphasizes these lesser-taught areas, integrating them within a structured education in classical restorative techniques and Commission on Dental Accreditation-approved standards, providing a diverse curriculum and preparing residents for practice in increasingly diverse communities.

Oral health considerations in HIV-infected children.

Children with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have a higher probability of hard and soft oral tissue diseases because of their compromised immune systems and socioeconomic factors such as poor access to medical and dental care and limited availability of fluoridated water or toothpaste. To improve health outcomes and help monitor the progression of HIV, a preventive, child-specific oral health protocol for children with HIV that is easy to use and appropriate for all different resource settings should be established. Further, both medical and dental health practitioners should incorporate such a protocol into their care routine for HIV-infected children. Using proactive oral health risk assessments complemented by scheduled follow-up visits based on individual risk determination can prevent opportunistic infection, track the HIV disease trajectory, and monitor the effectiveness of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) while improving the quality of life and longevity of children living with HIV.

Calibration and reliability testing of a novel asynchronous photographic plaque scoring system in young children.

OBJECTIVES: The Simplified Oral Hygiene Index for Maxillary Incisors (OHI-MIS) is a novel plaque scoring system adapted for young children. This study describes calibration training and testing used to establish the inter- and intra-rater reliability for OHI-MIS measured from clinical photographs. METHODS: Two raters from the Coordinated Oral Health Promotion Chicago (CO-OP) and one from the Behavioral EConomics for Oral health iNnovation (BEECON) randomized controlled trials (RCTs) underwent calibration with gold standard raters, followed by annual re-calibration. Raters from CO-OP also completed inter-rater reliability testing; all three raters completed intra-rater reliability testing rounds. Photographs were obtained from children aged 9-39 months. RESULTS: All three raters achieved greater than 0.77 Lin's Concordance Correlation (LCC) versus gold standard consensus during calibration. All three raters had LCC ≥0.83 at recalibration 1 year later. CO-OP trial raters scored 604 photos (151 sets of 4 photographs); mostly both raters were somewhat/very confident in their scoring (≥89%), describing the most photos as "clear" (90% and 81%). The CO-OP inter-rater LCC for total OHI-MIS score was 0.86, changing little when low quality or confidence photos were removed. All three raters demonstrated high intra-rater reliability (≥0.83). CONCLUSIONS: The OHI-MIS plaque scoring system on photos had good reliability within and between trials following protocol training and calibration. OHI-MIS provides a novel asynchronous plaque scoring system for use in young children. Non-clinicians in field or clinical settings can obtain photographs, offering new opportunities for research and clinical care.

Mother and youth access (MAYA) maternal chlorhexidine, counselling and paediatric fluoride varnish randomized clinical trial to prevent early childhood caries.

BACKGROUND: Mexican-American children have a higher caries prevalence than the U.S. average. The Mothers and Youth Access (MAYA) study was a randomized clinical trial initiated to address this problem. AIM: Comparison of the efficacy of two prevention interventions in reducing early childhood caries (ECC). DESIGN: All 361 randomized mother-child dyads received oral health counselling. Beginning at 4 months postpartum, intervention mothers received chlorhexidine (CHX) mouthrinse for 3 months beginning 4 months postpartum and children received fluoride varnish (FV) every 6 months from age 12-36 months. Control group children received FV if precavitated lesions developed. Salivary mutans streptococci (MS) and lactobacilli were assessed. RESULTS: No significant difference in children's 36-month caries incidence between groups; 34% in each group developed caries [(d(2+) fs) > 0]. About half of control group developed precavitated lesions and received therapeutic FV. Maternal MS levels declined during CHX use, but increased when discontinued. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal postpartum CHX regimen, oral health counselling and preventive child FV applications were not more efficacious than maternal counselling with child therapeutic FV for precavitated lesions for ECC prevention. FV for young children with brief maternal CHX use and oral health counselling may need to be combined with additional or longer-term therapies to significantly reduce ECC in high-risk populations.

COVID-19 Impact on Community-Based Participatory Randomized Controlled Trials-Lessons From the Oral Health Disparities in Children Consortium.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on nearly every sector of science and industry worldwide, including a significant disruption to clinical trials and dentistry. From the beginning of the pandemic, dental care was considered high risk for viral transmission due to frequent aerosol-generating procedures. This resulted in special challenges for dental providers, oral health care workers, patients, and oral health researchers. By describing the effect that the COVID-19 pandemic had on four community-based randomized clinical trials in the Oral Health Disparities in Children (OHDC) Consortium, we highlight major challenges so researchers can anticipate impacts from any future disruptions.

Pediatric dental care: prevention and management protocols based on caries risk assessment.

Recent increases in caries prevalence in young children, especially among minorities and the economically disadvantaged, highlight the need for early establishment of dental homes and simple, effective infant oral care preventive programs for all children as part of a medical disease prevention management model. This article presents an updated approach and practical tools for pediatric dental caries management by risk assessment in an effort to stimulate greater adoption of infant oral care programs among clinicians and early establishment of dental homes for young children. [corrected]

Caries risk assessment appropriate for the age 1 visit (infants and toddlers).

This article discusses caries management by risk assessment for children age 0-5. Risk assessment is the first step in a comprehensive protocol for infant oral care. The program includes opportunities to establish a "dental home" and provide guidance for improved health outcomes. Risk assessment forms, instructions for use, and guidance-related education points have been included. Collaboration among all health professionals regarding early and timely intervention to promote children's oral health and disease prevention is emphasized.

Clinical protocols for caries management by risk assessment.

This article seeks to provide a practical, everyday clinical guide for managing dental caries based upon risk group assessment. It is based upon the best evidence at this time and can be used in planning effective caries management for any patient. In addition to a comprehensive restorative treatment plan, each patient should have a comprehensive caries management treatment plan. Some sample treatment plans are included.

Prenatal Maternal Factors, Intergenerational Transmission of Disease, and Child Oral Health Outcomes.

This article reviews maternal prenatal risk factors for caries in children and intergenerational transmission of caries, emphasizing early interventions for pregnant women and mother-infant pairs. A growing body of evidence focuses on maternal interventions. Studies suggest that early prenatal clinical and educational interventions are effective at reducing mother-child mutans streptococci (MS) transmission and delaying colonization and caries in young children. Dental screenings and anticipatory guidance about maternal and infant oral health should be included in prenatal care and pediatric well visits. Dental care during pregnancy is safe and recommended and can reduce maternal MS levels. Infants should visit a dentist by age 1.

Clinical considerations for an infant oral health care program.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Association of Pediatrics recommend dental assessments and evaluations for children during their first year of life. Early dental intervention evaluates a child's risk status based on parental interviews and oral examinations. These early screenings present an opportunity to educate parents about the medical, dental, and cost benefits of preventive--rather than restorative-care and may be more effective in reducing early childhood caries than traditional infectious disease models. A comprehensive infant oral care program includes: (1) risk assessments at regularly scheduled dental visits; (2) preventive treatments such as fluoride varnishes or sealants; (3) parental education on the correct methods to clean the baby's mouth; and (4) incentives to encourage participation in ongoing educational programming. Recruiting mothers during pregnancy improves the likelihood that they will participate in the assessment program. To maximize interest, trust, and success among participating parents, educational and treatment programs must be tailored to the social and cultural norms within the community being served.

Bacterial, behavioral and environmental factors associated with early childhood caries.

The goals of this cross-sectional study were to characterize and compare demographic, behavioral, and environmental factors potentially associated with early childhood caries (ECC) and to assess salivary levels of mutans streptococci (MS) and lactobacilli (LB) in underserved, predominantly Hispanic children. One hundred forty-six children aged 3 to 55 months with a range of caries experience were identified and examined. ECC was primarily associated with the presence of MS and lack of access to dental care. Salivary MS levels among young children with ECC were higher than would be expected in a dentally healthy population, but lower than levels reported among older children at high risk for caries. After adjustment for age, children with log10 MS > or = 3.0 or log10 LB > or = 1.5 were about five times as likely (OR=4.9, 95% CI=2.0, 12.0) to have ECC than those with lower bacterial levels. This study demonstrated a significant association between relatively low cariogenic bacterial levels and dental caries in infants and toddlers. Antibiotic use, exposure to lead, and anemia were not significantly associated with the number of decayed and filled surfaces or decayed and filled teeth. ECC correlated significantly with child's age and lack of dental insurance of the children, as well as inversely with both family income and the educational level of the mother of the child.

A model for community-based pediatric oral heath: implementation of an infant oral care program.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandates risk assessments, preventive care, and evaluations based on outcomes. ACA compliance will require easily accessible, cost-effective care models that are flexible and simple to establish. UCLA has developed an Infant Oral Care Program (IOCP) in partnership with community-based organizations that is an intervention model providing culturally competent perinatal and infant oral care for underserved, low-income, and/or minority children aged 0-5 and their caregivers. In collaboration with the Venice Family Clinic's Simms/Mann Health and Wellness Center, UCLA Pediatrics, Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and Early Head Start and Head Start programs, the IOCP increases family-centered care access and promotes early utilization of dental services in nontraditional, primary care settings. Emphasizing disease prevention, management, and care that is sensitive to cultural, language, and oral health literacy challenges, IOCP patients achieve better oral health maintenance "in health" not in "disease modality". IOCP uses interprofessional education to promote pediatric oral health across multiple disciplines and highlights the necessity for the "age-one visit". This innovative clinical model facilitates early intervention and disease management. It sets a new standard of minimally invasive dental care that is widely available and prevention focused, with high retention rates due to strong collaborations with the community-based organizations serving these vulnerable, high-risk children.

Creating a new generation of pediatric dentists: a paradigm shift in training.

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Dentistry has implemented a Health Resources and Services Administration-funded program to prepare dentists for the complex and comprehensive needs of pediatric patients within rapidly changing demographics and a paradigm shift in dentistry. Traditional dental education has focused on how to respond to oral disease, whereas UCLA's program shifts the paradigm to emphasize early assessment, risk-based prevention, and disease management. A holistic approach to dental care that considers social and environmental determinants is used with minimally invasive techniques for restorative care. To support this change, pediatric dental residents receive traditional training combined with new didactics, advocacy opportunities, and applied learning experiences at community-based organizations. These new elements teach residents to recognize the causal factors of disease and to identify interventions that promote oral health at the individual, family, community, and policy level. Consequently, they are better prepared to treat a diverse group of patients who historically have faced the greatest burden of disease as well as an increased number of barriers to accessing oral health care; these consist of low-income, minority, and/or pediatric populations including children with special health needs. The program's ultimate goal is for residents to deploy these skills in treating vulnerable populations and to demonstrate greater interest in collaborating with non-dental health providers and community organizations to increase access to dental services in private or public health practice settings.

The health of Latino children: urgent priorities, unanswered questions, and a research agenda.

Latinos recently became the largest racial/ethnic minority group of US children. The Latino Consortium of the American Academy of Pediatrics Center for Child Health Research, consisting of 13 expert panelists, identified the most important urgent priorities and unanswered questions in Latino child health. Conclusions were drawn when consensus was reached among members, with refinement through multiple iterations. A consensus statement with supporting references was drafted and revised. This article summarizes the key issues, including lack of validated research instruments, frequent unjustified exclusion from studies, and failure to analyze data by pertinent subgroups. Latino children are at high risk for behavioral and developmental disorders, and there are many unanswered questions about their mental health needs and use of services. The prevalence of dental caries is disproportionately higher for Latino children, but the reasons for this disparity are unclear. Culture and language can profoundly affect Latino children's health, but not enough cultural competency training of health care professionals and provision of linguistically appropriate care occur. Latinos are underrepresented at every level of the health care professions. Latino children are at high risk for school dropout, environmental hazards, obesity, diabetes mellitus, asthma, lack of health insurance, nonfinancial barriers to health care access, and impaired quality of care, but many key questions in these areas remain unanswered. This article suggests areas in which more research is needed and ways to improve research and care of Latino children.