title: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Pediatric Dentists Regarding Speech Evaluation of Patients: Implications for Dental Education.
abstract: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine pediatric dentists' attitudes about speech evaluation in the dental setting and assess their knowledge of speech development and pathology. In October 2013, members of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry were invited to participate in an electronic questionnaire. Categories of questions were demographics, attitudes and confidence in speech pathology, and theoretical and practical knowledge of speech development and speech pathology. Theoretical knowledge was assessed using questions about phonetics and speech milestones. Practical knowledge was determined with three 30-second interview-style video clips. A total of 539 responses were received for a response rate of 10.4%. The majority of respondents reported feeling that speech evaluation should be part of the pediatric dental visit (72.8%) and felt confident in their ability to detect speech issues (73.2%). However, they did poorly on the theoretical knowledge questions (41.9%) as well as the practical knowledge questions (8.5%). There was a statistically significant difference in theoretical score between gender and type of occupation (p<0.05). This difference was not observed when examining practical knowledge. This study suggests that although pediatric dentists are in an ideal position to aid in the detection of speech issues, they currently have insufficient training and knowledge to do so.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Van Eyndhoven is an associate pediatric dentist in private practice, New York, NY, and former postdoctoral resident fellow, Columbia University Medical Center; Dr. Chussid is Associate Professor of Dental Medicine and Chair, Section of Growth and Development, Columbia University Medical Center; and Dr. Yoon is Associate Professor of Dental Medicine and Program Director, Advanced Specialty Education in Pediatric Dentistry, Columbia University Medical Center.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Van Eyndhoven
authors.affiliation: Dr. Van Eyndhoven is an associate pediatric dentist in private practice, New York, NY, and former postdoctoral resident fellow, Columbia University Medical Center; Dr. Chussid is Associate Professor of Dental Medicine and Chair, Section of Growth and Development, Columbia University Medical Center; and Dr. Yoon is Associate Professor of Dental Medicine and Program Director, Advanced Specialty Education in Pediatric Dentistry, Columbia University Medical Center.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chussid
authors.affiliation: Dr. Van Eyndhoven is an associate pediatric dentist in private practice, New York, NY, and former postdoctoral resident fellow, Columbia University Medical Center; Dr. Chussid is Associate Professor of Dental Medicine and Chair, Section of Growth and Development, Columbia University Medical Center; and Dr. Yoon is Associate Professor of Dental Medicine and Program Director, Advanced Specialty Education in Pediatric Dentistry, Columbia University Medical Center. rky1@cumc.columbia.edu.
authors.forename: Richard K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Yoon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002648:Child; D002663:Child Language; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology; D004497:Education, Dental; D004498:Education, Dental, Continuing; D004499:Education, Dental, Graduate; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010377:Pediatric Dentistry / Q000193:education*; D010700:Phonetics; D019239:Practice Patterns, Dentists'; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012798:Sialorrhea / Q000503:physiopathology; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013070:Speech Therapy / Q000193:education; D013066:Speech-Language Pathology / Q000193:education
keywords: advanced dental education; continuing education; graduate dental education; oral examination; pathology; pediatric dentistry; speech