title: Counseling on Early Childhood Caries transmission by dentists.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  High levels of Streptococcus mutans on teeth of young children are predictive of Early Childhood Caries (ECC). Transmission from mother-to-child is common and studies have demonstrated treatment of the mother results in less ECC. The objective of this study was to determine how dentists have adopted the practice of counseling about ECC.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2006 as part of a larger study on dental care for pregnant women, we surveyed 829 general dentists in Oregon. The questionnaire contained questions to capture the extent to which general dentists have adopted counseling pregnant women about ECC transmission, to describe personal and practice characteristics, and examine how dentists' views on the ease of adopting of new procedures related to ECC counseling. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify separate and additive effects of demographic and practice characteristics, attitudes, and beliefs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The adjusted odds of a dentist who strongly believed in the link between mothers and babies and provided ECC counseling were 1.60 (95% CI 1.3-2.0, P<0.01). The odds of a dentist who reported discussing ECC with staff members and provided counseling were 2.7 (95% CI 1.7-4.3, P<0.01). Male dentists were less likely to counsel patients than female dentists (Adjusted OR=0.5, 95% CI 0.3-1.0, p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The strongest predictors of counseling patients about ECC were dentists' belief in the evidence of caries transmission and dentists' discussion of ECC during staff meetings.
authors.affiliation: Northwest Center to Reduce Oral Health Disparities, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-7475, USA. dfrc@uw.washington.edu
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Milgrom
authors.forename: Colleen E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Huebner
authors.forename: Lloyd
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mancl
authors.forename: Gayle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Garson
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grembowski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003376:Counseling; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000382:microbiology*; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019239:Practice Patterns, Dentists'; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000382:microbiology*; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000635:transmission*; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000472:pathogenicity*