title: Oral health information for Appalachia-West Virginia children: a cross-sectional analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Time demands often impact the presentation of heath related educational material/information in rural dental practices. The purpose of this study was to determine if parents/guardians were receiving information with respect to a child's dental needs, and if there were a relationship between the delivery of the information and the utilization of dental servicesin Appalachia-West Virginia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey was presented to parents/guardians of Appalachia-West Virginia children [n=62] regarding dental information provided by their dentist/dental hygienist. The data were analyzed with Chi-square, and logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Summative score of the questions on the survey (Adjusted odds ratio=6.2 [95% CI=1.1, 35.4]; p=0.057), and parental education (p=0.057) remained associated in a logistic regression with a child having had a dental visit within the previous year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exposure of parents to dentally related educational material/information provided by a dentist/dental hygienist was independently associated with dental visits. The implication is that there remains a need for dental professionals to actively educate their patients.
authors.affiliation: Dental Practice and Rural Health, School of Dentistry; Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA.
authors.forename: R Constance
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Wiener
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics; Division of Dental Hygiene, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA.
authors.forename: Alcinda Trickett
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Shockey
authors.affiliation: Foreign Service Institute National Foreign Affairs Training Center, Office of the Director, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wiener-Pla