Oral Care Experiences of Latino Parents/Caregivers with Children with Autism and with Typically Developing Children.

Lucía I Floríndez,Elizabeth Pyatak,Dominique H Como,Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati,Sharon A Cermak,Jose C Polido,Daniella C Floríndez,Francesca M Floríndez

doi:10.3390/ijerph16162905

Abstract

As a result of various barriers, several pediatric populations are at risk for poor oral health, including children with disabilities and children from under-represented populations, such as Latinos. To this end, this study aimed to better understand the factors that affect the oral health experiences of 32 Latino parents/caregivers from 18 families (n = 8 with a typically developing child and n = 10 with a child with Autism). Using a qualitative descriptive methodology, each family was interviewed twice. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded thematically to identify the individual, social, systemic, and culturally rooted factors contributing to oral health disparities in the families. The three themes that arose were “Why would I want to start trouble?”: Latino parents’ dissatisfaction with dental treatments, costs, and fear of the dentist and health care providers because of their ethnic minority status as key factors inhibiting receipt of dental care; “We have to put our children first”: prioritizing the oral care activities of their children over their own individual oral care needs; and “We always keep baking soda around”: familial and cultural influences on oral care habits. Understanding the oral health beliefs and experiences of Latino parents and caregivers of children with and without autism is critical for developing targeted prevention and intervention programs and reducing oral health disparities.

Highlights

An important component of pediatric health care is oral care, which has a direct influence on health and quality of life [1]
Dental care is a common unmet health need in U.S children [6], associated with the highest financial barriers compared to other areas of health care [7]
Children who are from an under-represented minority population [8,9,10], from lower-income or lower-education households [11,12], or have a special health care need are at increased risk for

Summary

Introduction

An important component of pediatric health care is oral care, which has a direct influence on health and quality of life [1]. Oral health related quality life measures the degree to which oral problems disrupt normal social functioning and lead to major changes in activities of daily living, such as the ability to work or attend school [2,3] and overall impact on emotional and functional well-being [4]. Oral health of children is of particular importance because children who experience early childhood caries are at higher risk for developing gingivitis, periodontal disease, and other dental problems as they age [5]. Dental care is a common unmet health need in U.S children [6], associated with the highest financial barriers compared to other areas of health care [7]. Public Health 2019, 16, 2905; doi:10.3390/ijerph16162905 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph

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