title: Oral health and family characteristics of children attending private or public dental clinics.
abstract: The City of North York Public Health Department (NYPHD) operates a school-based dental programme that provides preventive and treatment services to children according to evidence-based practice guidelines. This programme and private dental practices (PDP) represent the only sources of dental care for children in North York. The purpose of our study was to compare the oral health and family characteristics of clients from the NYPHD and PDP using a dental examination and a parent interview. Results showed that NYPHD and PDP clients had similar levels of fluorosis, calculus, and periodontal health, but NYPHD clients had experienced greater levels of decay. Clients of the NYPHD and PDP also had significantly different family characteristics, many of which were significantly associated with the presence of one or more decayed primary or permanent teeth. Multivariate logistic regression identified mother's immigration history, past caries experience, and parents' rationale for scheduling their child's dental appointments as the principle risk makers for dental decay. When compared with PDP clients, the NYPHD serves higher-needs children who otherwise might not receive care.
authors.affiliation: Community Dental Health Services Research Unit, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Woodward
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Leake
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Main
mesh_terms: D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services; D003728:Dental Calculus / Q000453:epidemiology; D003729:Dental Care; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology; D003740:Dental Clinics; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D009050:Fluorosis, Dental / Q000453:epidemiology; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D009909:Oral Health; D010290:Parents; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D011313:Preventive Dentistry; D011331:Private Practice; D011636:Public Health Dentistry; D012307:Risk Factors; D012575:Schools, Dental; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous