Skip to main content
2025 AAPD Annual Meeting Main banner
Cheng Crowns
Information & Legend
This session is not in your schedule.
This session is in your schedule. Click again to remove it.
Presentation Icons
Ticket Required
Ticket Required
Sold Out
Sold Out
Recorded Session
Recorded Session
Rate ePoster

Preventive

202 - Evaluation of San Francisco School-Based Fluoride Varnish Program Consent Rates

Friday, May 23, 2025
4:40 PM - 5:00 PM MDT
Has Audio

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Miranda Yip, DDS (she/her/hers)

    Resident
    University of California - San Francisco-3yr
    University of California San Francisco
    San Francisco, California, United States

    • Research Mentor(s)

  • Jean Star, DDS, MPH

    Assistant Professor
    University of California, San Francisco
    University of California San Francisco
    San Francisco, California, United States

    • Program Director(s)

  • TL

    Thuan Q. Le, DDS, PhD

    Interim Program Director
    University of California, San Francisco
    San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract:

Since 2016, the San Francisco Department of Public Health has partnered with the San Francisco Unified School District to offer fluoride varnish (FV) to transitional kindergarteners (TK) and preschoolers (PK) at no cost. However, this is contingent on active parental consent. Given disparities in oral health outcomes, this study examines the demographics of families who consented to FV, focusing on differences by race-ethnicity and school income.

This study used descriptive statistics to analyze data from the 2022-2023 academic year, evaluating the number of children at TK or PK schools who were offered FV, consented, and received treatment. The analysis revealed disparities in FV consent and application rates by race-ethnicity and school income. Among children who consented to FV, Asian children by race-ethnicity had the highest consent rates (86%) with an unadjusted odds ratio (OR) of 2.34 (95% CI: 1.5, 3.66). Medium income school children had the highest consent rates (83%) with an OR of 1.2 (95% CI: 0.86, 1.68). While disparities were noted across different race-ethnicity and school income groups, these trends were not statistically significant.

These initial findings reveal a varied return of consent forms across race-ethnicity and school income groups, suggesting an underlying disparity in engagement with school-based oral health programs. These trends suggest parental engagement as a potential barrier to participation. Understanding the influence of race-ethnicity and socioeconomic status on FV consent rates is crucial. Overall, this research underscores the importance of enhancing public health interventions to address barriers and improve equity in oral health preventive care.

Identify Supporting Agency and Grant Number: