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Published on: December 31, 2017
Oral health services within community-based organizations for young children with special health care needs
Stephanie Cruz1, Donald L Chi2, Colleen E Huebner3
1Department of Oral Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington. stefcruz@uw.edu.
Insights
Community organizations offer limited oral health services for children with special health care needs (CSHCN). Barriers include resources and policies, while partnerships can facilitate care.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Community-based organizations (CBOs) play a vital role in providing services to children with special health care needs (CSHCN).
- Oral health is a critical component of overall health for CSHCN, yet access to care can be challenging.
- Understanding the landscape of oral health services and associated barriers for CSHCN is essential for improving health outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify oral health services offered by CBOs to young CSHCN.
- To determine barriers and facilitators to providing these services in a nonfluoridated community.
Main Methods:
- Key informant interviews were conducted with 13 representatives from relevant agencies and programs serving CSHCN in Spokane County, Washington.
- A content analysis approach was used to thematically identify oral health services (proactive or incidental) and associated barriers and facilitators.
Main Results:
- Four types of oral health services were identified: screenings, parent education, preventive dental care, and dental referrals.
- Common barriers included limited agency resources, restrictive policies, and low parental demand.
- Community disagreement on fluoride use hindered education and preventive care, while a perceived lack of dentists capable of treating CSHCN was a barrier to referrals.
- Facilitators included established community partnerships and the use of a statewide oral health program.
Conclusions:
- Oral health services for young CSHCN are often reactive and limited.
- Coordinated efforts among CBOs, health providers, and advocates are crucial for comprehensive preventive and restorative oral care for all young CSHCN.
Purpose:
To identify the types of oral health services offered by community-based organizations to young children with special health care needs (CSHCN) and the barriers and facilitators to the provision of these in a nonfluoridated community.
Methods:
Thirteen key informant interviews with representatives from early intervention agencies, advocacy groups, and oral health programs who provide services to CSHCN in Spokane county, Washington. We used a content analysis to thematically identify oral health services as proactive or incidental and the barriers and facilitators to their provision.
Results:
We identified four types of oral health services: screenings, parent education, preventive dental care, and dental referrals. Barriers to providing all four services included limited agency resources, restrictive administrative and system-level policies, and low demand from parents. A barrier to providing education and preventive dental care was community disagreement regarding fluoride. A barrier to providing dental referrals was the perceived lack of dentists who could treat CSHCN. Facilitators included community partnerships among the organizations and utilization of the statewide oral health program.
Conclusions:
Oral health services for young CSHCN are limited and often delivered in response to oral health problems. Coordinated efforts between community-based organizations, health providers, and advocates are necessary to ensure the provision of comprehensive care, including preventive and restorative services, to all young CSHCN.
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