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

Purpose: To describe the clinical needs and care rendered to children participating in a virtual dental home (VDH) program at a rural school in Tuolumne County, CA, USA, from 2021 to 2023. Methods: The VDH pilot program, operated at a public elementary school in rural northern California and provided dental care using teledentistry for students from kindergarten through eighth grade. Data collection included an exported report of all data elements from the electronic health record. A single study clinician reviewed clinical notes and procedure codes to ensure accuracy in data exports for data collected in academic years 2021 to 2023. Descriptive statistics were generated for demographic characteristics, clinical needs, referrals, and care rendered. Results: A total of 53 patients were enrolled, with the majority classified as high caries risk. The program recorded 160 visits for 35 unique patients in the first academic year and 173 visits for 46 in the second. Over 87% of procedures completed were for examinations and preventive services. The program achieved several Healthy People 2030 oral health targets, including a high incidence of preventive dental visits and sealants. However, it underperformed in reducing the prevalence of untreated caries. Conclusions: The school-based virtual dental home program effectively provided preventive dental treatment, minimized barriers to care, and improved access to services in a Dental Health Provider Shortage Area. Teledentistry proved effective for pediatric dentistry in preventive treatment, minimally invasive care, and referrals, highlighting the potential of VDH models in reducing dental care gaps in underserved areas.