263 - Nutrition Counseling in Pediatric Dentistry Practices

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate current nutrition counseling practices of
pediatric dentists in the United States and examine factors i.e., facilitators and barriers associated
with those practices.

Methods: A survey consisting of 27 questions was sent via SurveyMonkey to 6,081 active members
of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. The data was collected over a 30-day period. The
survey investigated participants’ demographics, attitude, knowledge, and practices around nutrition
counseling.

Results: Out of 6,081 surveys sent, 438 responses were obtained (RR=7.2%). Of the survey takers,
close to 100% agree that nutrition is a vital component in the overall health and well being of an
individual. When asked if participants received general nutrition training during residency, 59.8%
answered ‘no.’ The top perceived barrier to offering nutrition counseling to patients was “lack of
patient interest.” Female responders were found to offer nutrition counseling more than male. A Chisquare test of independent variables was conducted and revealed no association between providing
nutrition counseling and any independent variable, including demographics, education, and
attitudes.

Conclusion: Respondents agreed that nutrition is a vital component of the overall health and wellbeing of an individual. Most agreed that additional emphasis should be placed on non-caries
associated general nutrition counseling within residency. The majority of respondents (69%) are
interested to learn more about nutrition counseling. The low response rate could be reflective of
disinterest; but in general given the low response rate the results must be assessed with caution.