Dental provider practices and perceptions regarding adolescent vaccination.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Dental Medicine
• Vaccinology

Background:

• Adolescent vaccination is crucial for public health.
• Dental providers are positioned to discuss preventive care with adolescents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate dental providers' knowledge and practices concerning adolescent vaccinations.
• To identify barriers dental providers face in recommending vaccines.
• To understand dental providers' perceptions of their role in adolescent vaccination.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted among 234 dental providers in Portland, Oregon.
• Assessed knowledge of recommended adolescent vaccines (influenza, Tdap, HPV, meningococcal conjugate).
• Examined barriers to vaccine recommendation and perceived role in vaccination promotion.

Main Results:

• Over 80% correctly identified key adolescent vaccines; 60% identified meningococcal conjugate.
• Only 44% had discussed vaccines with adolescent patients.
• Common barriers included lack of knowledge (66%), patient acceptance uncertainty (62%), and time constraints (61%).
• Providers perceived greater parental concerns about vaccine safety and effectiveness than their own.
• While 80% supported discussing preventive care, only 54% felt they should discuss vaccinations specifically.

Conclusions:

• Dental providers encounter significant barriers to recommending adolescent vaccines.
• Despite comfort with general preventive care discussions, vaccine recommendations are less traditional.
• Additional education and communication tools are necessary to support dental providers in vaccine promotion.