Ly Princeton, Hayes Donald K, Yamashiroya Vince, Turnure Matthew M, Iwaishi Louise K
John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Honolulu, HI (PL).
Department of Pediatrics, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Honolulu, HI (VY, LKI).
Hawaii J Med Public Health. 2018 Nov;77(11):275-282.
Hawai'i has the lowest rate of community water fluoridation in the nation, which has contributed to poor oral health for children statewide. When properly prescribed, the benefits of fluoride supplementation for oral health outweigh any potential side effects to the body. Official recommendations give pediatric healthcare providers the authority to prescribe fluoride supplements and guide parents in daily usage. However, knowledge of actual practice and adherence for both providers and patients have never been examined in Hawai'i. This study aims to evaluate pediatric healthcare providers' attitudes, knowledge, and practices, regarding fluoride supplementation. A 37-item survey was developed investigating these domains, and was distributed to pediatric dentists, family practitioners, and pediatricians in the state. One hundred and three responses were collected during the time period of May 2014 through May 2015. Descriptive and bivariate associations with several outcomes were assessed. The majority (87%) reported at least some knowledge of the official guidelines. There was uncertainty in knowledge of fluorosis and the seriousness of the health risk. A recent educational session on fluoride was associated with more knowledge of the guidelines and the signs and symptoms of fluorosis. The majority of providers started fluoride at the recommended age whereas there was more variablility on stopping fluoride. On the patient side, providers reported that 67% of the parents forget to administer and 53% reported that their child does not like the taste. This study provides some information regarding the clinical use of fluoride supplementation in children. More efforts are needed to raise awareness in a consistent manner by both the dental and medical communities on the importance of fluoride supplementation to promote oral health in children while addressing concerns of professionals and the community.
夏威夷是美国社区水氟化率最低的地区，这导致该州儿童口腔健康状况不佳。当正确开出处方时，补充氟化物对口腔健康的益处超过了对身体的任何潜在副作用。官方建议赋予儿科医疗服务提供者开处方补充氟化物的权力，并指导家长日常使用。然而，夏威夷从未对医疗服务提供者和患者的实际做法及依从性进行过调查。本研究旨在评估儿科医疗服务提供者在补充氟化物方面的态度、知识和做法。我们设计了一项包含37个条目的调查问卷来调查这些方面，并将其分发给该州的儿科牙医、家庭医生和儿科医生。在2014年5月至2015年5月期间共收集到103份回复。我们评估了与几个结果相关的描述性和双变量关联。大多数（87%）报告至少对官方指南有一定了解。在氟斑牙知识和健康风险的严重性方面存在不确定性。最近一次关于氟化物的教育课程与对指南以及氟斑牙体征和症状的更多了解相关。大多数医疗服务提供者在推荐年龄开始补充氟化物，而在停止补充氟化物方面存在更多差异。在患者方面，医疗服务提供者报告称，67%的家长忘记给药，53%的家长报告孩子不喜欢这种味道。本研究提供了一些关于儿童补充氟化物临床使用的信息。牙科和医疗界需要做出更多努力，以一致的方式提高人们对补充氟化物对促进儿童口腔健康的重要性的认识，同时解决专业人员和社区的担忧。
