Management of caries in the child three years of age and younger: a survey of post-doctoral pediatric dentistry program directors.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to report the results of a survey of pediatric dentistry post-doctoral program directors regarding education of post-doctoral students about management of caries in children 3 years-of-age or younger.


METHODS
Fifty-two pediatric dentistry advanced education program directors were sent questionnaires inquiring about payer sources in their programs, distribution of caries in children 3 years of age or younger within the payer sources, the methods they teach and use to treat the caries, and the effectiveness of treatment and outcome data about the success of their treatment.


RESULTS
Twenty-nine programs responded (56%). On average, two-thirds (66%) of the patients in post-doctoral pediatric dentistry programs are Medicaid patients. Program directors are fairly uniform in how they define methods of caries management, and they rate definitive therapy as the most effective method to manage all types of caries. Literature/textbooks were most frequently cited as the major source of scientific evidence to support treatment decisions. Fewer than 20% of program directors have outcome data on the effectiveness of their methods of treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Medicaid is the major payer source for patients in post-doctoral programs and definitive therapy is considered by program directors to be the most effective approach to managing caries in this patient population. Program directors rely on the literature and textbooks and few have outcome data.
Seale
N Sue
NS
Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Baylor College of Dentistry, Texas A&M University System Health Science Center, Dallas, USA. sseale@tambcd.edu
Kendrick
Alice
A
D000288:Administrative Personnel; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019140:Dental Care for Children / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000628:therapy*; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003814:Dentistry, Operative / Q000193:education; D005382:Financing, Personal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008484:Medicaid / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010377:Pediatric Dentistry / Q000193:education*; D019239:Practice Patterns, Dentists' / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires