Fluoride Prescribing Behaviors for Medicaid-Enrolled Children in Oregon.
Am J Prev Med
; 62(2): e69-e76, 2022 02.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34602339
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
This study aims to examine physician and dentist fluoride prescription patterns and identify the factors associated with fluoride prescriptions for Medicaid-enrolled children. The hypothesis is that dentists will be the primary prescribers of fluoride and that caries risk factors will be associated with fluoride prescriptions.METHODS:
Data were analyzed for Oregon children aged 0-17 years enrolled in Medicaid for ≥300 days in both 2016 and 2017. The outcome variable was receiving a fluoride prescription in 2017. A 2-tailed chi-square test was used to assess fluoride prescribing differences between physicians and dentists. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the likelihood of receiving a fluoride prescription in 2017 and to generate ORs. Model covariates included child's age, sex, race, ethnicity, Medicaid plan type, previous fluoride prescription, previous restorative dental treatment, and water fluoridation status.RESULTS:
Of 200,169 Medicaid-enrolled children, 6.7% (n=13,337) received fluoride prescriptions. Physicians were >3 times as likely to prescribe fluoride as dentists (73.4% vs 23.0%, p<0.001). Children with a history of fluoride prescriptions (OR=14.30, p<0.001) and any restorative dental treatment (OR=1.58, p<0.001) were significantly more likely to receive a fluoride prescription, whereas children living in areas with water fluoridation were significantly less likely (OR=0.50, p=0.01).CONCLUSIONS:
Physicians play an important role in prescribing fluoride to Medicaid-enrolled children, especially those at increased dental caries risk. Additional research is needed on strategies to ensure that all high-risk children have an opportunity to benefit from prescription fluoride.
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Cárie Dentária
/
Fluoretos
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Child
/
Humans
País como assunto:
America do norte
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2022
Tipo de documento:
Article