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Strengthen the Evidence for Maternal and Child Health Programs

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Evidence Tools
MCHbest. Preventive Dental Visit: Child.

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Strategy. Caregiver/Parent Education and/or Counseling (Child)

Approach. Provide education to and/or conduct motivational interviews with parents/caregivers on the importance of enrolling in dental coverage and how to schedule dental appointments

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Overview. Providing education and/or conducting motivational interviewing have been shown to increase oral health care utilization, but more research is needed to confirm effects.[1, 2] Caregiver and parent education programs can effectively address knowledge gaps about children's oral health needs, proper dental hygiene practices, and the importance of preventive dental visits. These interventions often include information about tooth brushing techniques, the role of fluoride, healthy eating habits to prevent cavities, and guidance on when to schedule dental appointments. Motivational interviewing techniques help caregivers identify and overcome personal obstacles to seeking dental care, set achievable goals for their children's oral health, and build confidence in managing their children's dental needs at home.

Evidence. Emerging Evidence. Strategies based on emerging evidence show promise but have not undergone extensive testing. While these approaches demonstrate potential, their effectiveness remains unconfirmed. Prioritize rigorous monitoring to ensure they achieve desired outcomes for all MCH populations.

Access the peer-reviewed evidence through the MCH Digital Library or related evidence source.

Potential Data Sources. Data to support this strategy can be accessed through:

  • Tracking of education and motivational interviewing activities
  • Content and delivery evaluation by parents/caregivers
  • Data on changes in appointment scheduling behavior among target families

Outcome Components. This strategy has shown to have impact on the following outcomes (Read more about these categories):

  • Access to/Receipt of Care. This strategy increases the ability for individuals to obtain healthcare services when needed, including preventive, diagnostic, and treatment services.
  • Timeliness of Care. This strategy promotes delivery of healthcare services in a timely manner to optimize benefits and prevent complications.
  • Utilization. This strategy improves the extent to which individuals and communities use available healthcare services.

Detailed Outcomes. For specific outcomes related to each study supporting this strategy, access the peer-reviewed evidence and read the Intervention Results for each study.

Intervention Type. Health Teaching (Education and Promotion) (Read more about intervention types and levels as defined by the Public Health Intervention Wheel).

Intervention Level. Individual/Family-Focused

Examples from the Field. Access descriptions of ESMs that use this strategy or aligned components.

Sample ESMs. Here are sample ESMs to use as models for your own measures using the RBA framework (see The Role of Title V in Adapting Strategies).

Quadrant 1:
Measuring Quantity of Effort (“What/how much did we do?”)

  • Number of parents/caregivers receiving education on the importance of dental coverage and scheduling dental appointments. (Measures reach of educational efforts)
  • Number of educational materials for resources distributed to parents/caregivers on dental coverage and appointment scheduling. (Quantifies information dissemination)

Quadrant 2:
Measuring Quality of Effort (“How well did we do it?”)

  • Percent of parent/caregiver education sessions that are delivered in appropriate formats. (Assesses tailoring to audience needs)
  • Percent of motivational interviewing sessions that adhere to quality standards and best practices. (Measures fidelity of intervention)

Quadrant 3:
Measuring Quantity of Effect (“Is anyone better off?”)

  • Number of community partners (e.g., schools, WIC clinics) engaged to identify and refer parents/caregivers for education for motivational interviewing. (Measures collaboration for outreach)
  • Number of staff for volunteers trained to deliver parent/caregiver education and motivational interviewing with fidelity. (Measures capacity for implementation)
  • Number of children who receive a preventive dental visit within 6 months after their parent/caregiver receives education for motivational interviewing. (Measures conversion to services)
  • Number of children who establish a dental home and receive regular oral health care after their parent/caregiver receives the intervention. (Assesses continuity of care)

Quadrant 4:
Measuring Quality of Effect (“How are they better off?”)

  • Percent of parent/caregiver education and motivational interviewing efforts focused on families experiencing disproportionate oral health impacts. (Assesses focus of intervention)
  • Percent of staff for volunteers trained to deliver parent/caregiver education and motivational interviewing with fidelity. (Measures capacity for implementation)
  • Percent of children from families with lower incomes who receive dental coverage and attend a dental visit after their parent/caregiver receives the intervention. (Measures access in outcomes)
  • Percent reduction in gaps in dental utilization between children whose parents/caregivers received the intervention and those who did not. (Assesses impact of intervention)

Note. When looking at your ESMs, SPMs, or other strategies:

  1. Move from measuring quantity to quality.
  2. Move from measuring effort to effect.
  3. Quadrant 1 strategies should be used sparingly, when no other data exists.
  4. The most effective measurement combines strategies in all levels, with most in Quadrants 2 and 4.

Learn More. Read how to create stronger ESMs and how to measure ESM impact more meaningfully through Results-Based Accountability.

References

1 Dela Cruz A, Mueller G, Milgrom P, Coldwell S. 2012. A community-based randomized trial of postcard mailings to increase dental utilization among low-income children. Journal of Dentistry for Children 79(3):154–158 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3587972.

2 Villalta J, Askaryar H, Verzemnieks I, Kinsler J, Kropenske V, Ramos-Gomez F. 2019. Developing an effective community oral health workers—“Promotoras” model for Early Head Start. Frontiers in Public Health (7). https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00175/full

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U02MC31613, MCH Advanced Education Policy, $3.5 M. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.