Family Access to Dentistry Study (U01)

Overview

The study is a multi-site community based trial to evaluate the effectiveness of new referral approaches to increase receipt of dental care among inner-city urban and rural elementary school children grades K-4 who were screened at school and have restorative dental needs. The participating K-4 children will receive a screening at the beginning of the school year and at the study end point 7 months later to determine if the child received dental care.

Goals

Primary: To evaluate the effectiveness of experimental (new) versus standard referral approaches given to parents/ caregivers in increasing receipt of dental care among their children in grades K-4

Secondary: To assess changes in parent/caregiver illness representation/perception and behavioral intention between enrollment at the beginning of the school year, 2 weeks into the study and 7 months after the start of the study to understand the underlying mechanism of the new vs. standard referral approach that results in receipt of dental care.