Caries
Shivani Saith, DMD, MS (she/her/hers)
Pediatric Dental Resident
NewYork-Presbyterian Kids/ Columbia
Columbia University
New York, New York, United States
Christie Lumsden, PhD, MS, RD, CDN
College of Dental Medicine (Columbia University)
Richard Yoon, DDS
College of Dental Medicine (Columbia University)
Purpose: To evaluate the efficiency and feasibility of implementing telehealth medical nutritional therapy (MNT) with parents of young children for behaviorally-focused disease management of early childhood caries (ECC).
Methods: Parent/child dyads presenting for routine appointments at the Columbia University Pediatric Dental Clinic (July-December 2022) were recruited for this prospective pilot study. Eligibility was limited to well-children aged 2-6 years with ECC (≥ 1 cavity, restoration, or missing tooth due to decay). Parents were scheduled to complete three video conference-based MNT sessions over six weeks with a nutrition graduate student to promote low-cariogenic dietary behaviors and were offered a modest incentive for participation ($25 per session). Pre-/post-intervention surveys assessed telehealth and MNT efficiency with 13 statements (e.g., video visits were convenient, prefer video visits over in-person, could easily hear and talk) on a 5-point Likert scale (‘Strongly Agree’ to ‘Strongly Disagree’), and two open-ended questions (regarding usefulness and recommended changes). Feasibility was assessed by no-show rate of those who scheduled but did not complete sessions. Quantitative data will be descriptively analyzed, associations with demographics explored via Chi-square, and open-ended responses qualitatively analyzed.
Results: A total of 79 parents were recruited with 43 male (54%) and 36 (46%) female children aged 2-6 years. To date, 24 parents completed at least one nutrition session, with 11 successfully completing all three. Study outcomes pending additional statistical analysis.
Conclusions: If found to be acceptable and efficient, telehealth MNT may be a viable option for behavioral disease management of ECC warranting further investigation to establish efficacy.