Bhoopathi V, Vishnevetsky A, Mirman J. Pediatric dentists who accept new Medicaid-enrolled children report higher willingness to advocate for community water Fluoridation.
BMC Oral Health 2019;
19:115. [PMID:
31200715 PMCID:
PMC6570849 DOI:
10.1186/s12903-019-0812-7]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Dentists, who advocate for Community Water Fluoridation (CWF), can help decrease the dental caries disparity gap between low and high socioeconomic groups. Advocating for CWF, a cause that promotes oral health at the population level is an altruistic behavior. Dentists who accept and provide services to Medicaid-insured children, who are from low socioeconomic backgrounds, are also considered altruistic. We tested the association between accepting new Medicaid-insured children every month, and willingness to advocate for CWF programs in pediatric dentists (PDs).
METHODS
In 2016, a 22-item pilot tested online survey was sent to 5394 PD members of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Descriptive analysis and a multiple adjusted logistic regression model was conducted.
RESULTS
Dentists who accept new Medicaid-insured children every month (OR: 1.62; 95% CI: 1.06-2.47; p = 0.02) were more willing to advocate for CWF compared to their counterparts. Those practicing primarily in rural (OR = 4.67; 95% CI: 1.82-11.9; p = 0.001), and urban areas (OR = 2.27; 95%CI: 1.05-4.89; p = 0.04), and those willing to promote fluoridated water consumption to parents in the clinic (OR = 3.40; 95% CI: 1.87-6.21; p = < 0.0001) were significantly more likely to be willing to advocate for CWF. PDs trained in public health advocacy during pediatric residency alone (OR = 2.37; 95% CI: 1.24-4.51; p = 0.009), or during both pre-doctoral dental education and pediatric residency (OR = 3.51; 95% CI: 1.87-5.6; p = < 0.0001) were more willing to advocate for CWF compared to their counterparts.
CONCLUSIONS
PDs who accepted new Medicaid-insured children every month were more willing to advocate for CWF programs compared to those who did not.
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