Parental Perception of a Dental Home for Children with Special Needs

Mohamed A Hendaus; Deena Shaltout; Dure Yasrab; Aya Al-Noubani; Sara G Hamad; Mohammed Alamri; Ahmed H Alhammadi

doi:10.2147/PHMT.S263358

Parental Perception of a Dental Home for Children with Special Needs

Pediatric Health Med Ther. 2020 Sep 21:11:379-384. doi: 10.2147/PHMT.S263358. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Mohamed A Hendaus^{1

2

3}, Deena Shaltout^{1

4}, Dure Yasrab⁴, Aya Al-Noubani⁴, Sara G Hamad⁴, Mohammed Alamri², Ahmed H Alhammadi^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatrics, Section of Academic General Pediatrics, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar.
² Department of Pediatrics, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
³ Department of Clinical Pediatrics, Weill-Cornell Medicine, Doha, Qatar.
⁴ Pediatric Residency Program, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.

Abstract

Background and objectives: There is a major gap in the literature that addresses parental perception of acquiring a dental home for children with special healthcare needs (CSHCN). The objectives of this study are to assess parental perceptions and challenges in acquiring a dental home for their CSHCN.

Methods: Cross-sectional prospective study using a questionnaire.

Results: A total of 302 questionnaires were completed by caregivers. More than 70% of children had developmental delay, 20% had musculoskeletal disabilities, and the rest had respiratory compromise on non-invasive ventilation, learning disability, and visual and hearing disabilities; 75% of the caregivers do not believe pediatricians are qualified to contribute in oral hygiene. Moreover, 70% of children had not had a routine dentist visit in the 12 months preceding the interview. The reasons given for the lack of such visits included the long time of appointments (25%), difficulty in child's mobility (17%), the perception that dental care is expensive (9%), and a lack of dentist experience in dealing with children with special needs (5%). When asked what factors would encourage caregivers to choose a dental home for their children, 63% mentioned quick appointments, followed by dentists specialized in children with special needs (51%), child friendly atmosphere (21%), low cost (26.6%), close to home (20%), and others (6%). Interestingly, the majority of parents (75%) believed that the primary pediatrician of the child should initiate the dental home process.

Conclusion: Despite proper resources, children with special healthcare needs lack proper oral healthcare. This could be attributed to the lack of a dental home. A pediatrician's role is crucial in initiating the process of acquiring a dental home for this special population.

Keywords: children; dental home; pediatric; special needs.

Grants and funding

The medical research center at Hamad Medical Corporation in Qatar has sponsored residents’ presentation of this subject in international conferences. In addition, this article processing fee is covered by Qatar National Library.