Suchitra Nelson|Mary Beth Slusar|Jeffrey M. Albert|Christine A. Riedy
Do baby teeth really matter? Changing parental perception and increasing dental care utilization for young children
Case Western Reserve University|University School|Case Western Reserve University|University School|Case Western Reserve University|University School|Harvard University
parentcaregivers inability recognize importance baby teeth associated inadequate selfmanagement childrens oral health ie lower likelihood preventive dental visits may result dental caries need expensive cariesrelated restorative treatment general anesthesia health behavior theories aid researchers understanding impact effectiveness interventions changing health behaviors health outcomes one example commonsense model selfregulation csm focuses understanding individuals illness perception ie illness treatment representations subsequently used develop behavioral interventions change inaccurate perceptions describe processes involved behavior changewe present two examples randomized clinical trials currently testing oral health behavioral interventions change parental illness perception increase dental utilization young children disproportionately impacted dental caries elementary schools pediatric primary care settings additionally compared empiric data regarding parentcaregiver perception chronic nature dental caries captured illness perception questionnaire revised dental ipqrd constructs identity consequences control timeline illness coherence emotional representations parentcaregivers believe baby teeth importantcaregivers believed baby teeth dont matter significantly p005 less accurate perception majority ipqrd constructs except timeline construct compared caregivers believed baby teeth matterthese findings support csmbased behavioral interventions modify caregiver caries perception improve dental utilization young children