163 - Effects of an Established Dental Home on Early Caries Incidence

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of early dental home establishment in reducing early childhood caries and the need for subsequent dental treatment.

Methods: This study analyzed patient records from UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Dental Clinic using Open Dental Software to evaluate the impact of early dental home establishment on caries development. Records of children under 18 months old who had new patient exams in 2019 were reviewed and dmft scores (decayed, missing, and filled primary teeth) were recorded. The same cohort was re-evaluated in 2023/2024 at ages 3.5-5 years to document completed or planned dental treatments due to caries. These outcomes were compared to a control group of new patients aged 3.5-5 in 2023/2024 who established their dental homes later.

Results: Of the 1,298 charts reviewed, 730 charts met the inclusion criteria: 122 early dental home and 608 late dental home. Early dental home dmft scores ranged from 0-17 with a mean 4.36. Late dental home dmft scores ranged from 0-20 with a mean 6.86. The difference in dmft scores between early and late dental homes was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Those with an early dental home were found to the have a lower prevalence of severe early childhood caries (32.79%) compared to those with a late dental home (63.65%).

Conclusions: These findings highlight the significant impact of early dental home establishment in reducing the severity of dental caries, which echoes findings within current literature. More investigation into specific pediatric patient populations across a wider time range will continue to provide valuable insight into the relationship between the development of caries in children with dental homes and those without.

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