Suchitra Nelson, PhD, associate dean for clinical and translational research in the Department of Community Dentistry, and her team at Case Western Reserve led a study funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) that trained primary care pediatric clinicians to address children's oral health during annual wellness visits, resulting in a 34% increase in dental visits among children in underserved communities.
The study demonstrated that when clinicians performed oral exams, referred families to Medicaid-accepting dentists and discussed oral health with parents, children were more likely to visit the dentist, reducing untreated tooth decay. Nelson aims to expand this intervention nationwide to improve children's oral health and reduce disparities in medically underserved populations. Read the article in the Science Advances section of the fall 2024 NIDCR newsletter.