Maternal and child oral health issues: research

There is currently little oral research directed toward the maternal and child health population, especially outside of the National Institute of Dental Research funded programs. Although many agencies are involved with research in this area, there is no central national coordination, policy, or research agenda. Not all segments of the population are benefiting from existing knowledge. To improve oral health for all segments of the population, leadership in the establishment of research priorities is needed to direct activities that will benefit the population groups most affected by oral disease. New directions and perspectives are needed in the type of research conducted. The populations and conditions studied and the depth of the analyses performed must be extended. Additional emphasis should be placed on behavioral, evaluation, and health services research and collaborative research with other health fields. The population groups studied need to be expanded from the historical focus on relatively healthy elementary schoolchildren. As discussed by Waldman, information is particularly needed pertaining to children under age five, all women, and special population groups. As Frazier and Horowitz indicated, research on health promotion and health education within these target populations, as well as among other family members and care givers is needed. Data collected from surveys need to be analyzed more thoroughly. As new diagnostic systems and oral health care technologies are developed, they need to be evaluated adequately for safety, effectiveness, and efficiency. To accomplish all these activities, financial and human resources are needed--funding from appropriate sources in the public and private sector and qualified dental researchers interested in public health and clinical issues of concern to the maternal and child population.