Clinical Needs and Care Delivered Through a Pilot Rural Pediatric Virtual Dental Home

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Dentistry
• Public Health
• Teledentistry

Background:

• Rural communities face significant barriers to accessing dental care.
• Underserved populations, particularly children, experience higher rates of dental caries.
• Innovative care models are needed to address dental health disparities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical needs and care provided through a virtual dental home program in a rural school.
• To assess the effectiveness of teledentistry in delivering pediatric dental services.
• To identify outcomes related to oral health targets in an underserved population.

Main Methods:

• A virtual dental home pilot program was implemented at a rural elementary school.
• Teledentistry was utilized to provide dental care to students from K-8th grade.
• Electronic health records were analyzed for demographic data, clinical needs, referrals, and services rendered.

Main Results:

• The majority of the 53 enrolled patients were high caries risk.
• Over 87% of completed procedures were examinations and preventive services.
• The program met some Healthy People 2030 targets but underperformed in reducing untreated caries prevalence.

Conclusions:

• School-based virtual dental homes effectively deliver preventive care and improve access in Dental Health Provider Shortage Areas.
• Teledentistry is a viable tool for pediatric preventive and minimally invasive dental treatments.
• Virtual dental home models show promise in bridging dental care gaps for underserved children.