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Oral health services within community‐based organizations for young children with special health care needs
Author(s) -
Cruz Stephanie,
Chi Donald L.,
Huebner Colleen E.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
special care in dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.328
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1754-4505
pISSN - 0275-1879
DOI - 10.1111/scd.12174
Subject(s) - medicine , oral health , agency (philosophy) , nursing , family medicine , health care , intervention (counseling) , community health , public health , oral health care , philosophy , epistemology , economics , economic growth
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.