UCSF

Background

Early-life dental service utilization could improve child dental health.

Aim

Identify contextual, socioeconomic, and child characteristics associated with dental visitation by age 3 years.

Design

Within a Brazilian birth cohort (N = 435), multivariable regression models were fitted to identify independent predictors of having made a dental visit at age 3 years. Contextual variables considered included health center type (Traditional vs. Family Health Strategy, which perform home visits) and composition of oral health teams at the heath center where mothers accessed prenatal care.

Results

Dental visitation was positively associated with Family Health Strategy health centers (36% vs. 23%) and with higher maternal education and family social class. Visitation was lowest among families served by a health center without a dentist, but number of dentists and oral health team composition were not associated with visitation among facilities with ≥1 dentists. Dental visitation was not statistically significantly associated with caries experience but was higher if parents reported worse oral health-related quality of life. The vast majority of dental decay remained untreated.

Conclusions

Dental visits were underutilized, and socioeconomic inequalities were evident. Dental visitation was more common when mothers received prenatal care at Family Health Strategy health centers, suggesting a possible oral health benefit.