Factors facilitating dental practitioners' provision of infant-toddler dental homes in Alberta.

BACKGROUND

The Canadian Dental Association and Canadian Dental Hygienists Association recommend that a child's first dental visit should occur no later than 1 year of age. However, this recommendation has not been strongly supported by the dental community. The purpose of this study was to explore factors influencing the provision of infant-toddler dental homes from providers' perspectives. Understanding facilitating factors is integral to developing strategies to improve infant-toddler oral health care.

METHODS

This study employed a qualitative interpretive descriptive methodology, using semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 13 dentists and dental hygienists who routinely provide dental homes for the infant-toddler cohort. The constant comparative method was used to support thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Thematic analysis revealed factors that were both endogenous and exogenous to the practitioner. They were categorized into 4 interrelated themes: 1) practitioner; 2) practice; 3) profession; and 4) population. Together these 4 themes form a model of the 4 Ps that influence provision of infant-toddler dental homes. Common endogenous factors include the practitioner's comfort with young children and having clinical exposure to pediatric clients during dental education. Common exogenous factors include parental awareness and adequate insurance coverage for preventive procedures. Strategies to improve acceptance of infant-toddler dental homes include enhanced practitioner education and public awareness, consistent messaging from the dental community, as well as increased remuneration for preventive pediatric oral health care.

CONCLUSION

Provision of infant-toddler dental homes is affected by multifaceted variables. Consequently, strategies to improve uptake must employ a multipronged approach.