112 - Achieving Better Oral Health in a Foster/Kinship Care Population

Purpose: To assess foster/kinship caregivers’ knowledge and support of home oral health routines for children in their care. Additionally, to examine caregivers’ ability to provide preventive dental care instruction.

Methods: Foster/kinship caregivers completed this IRB-approved 37-item questionnaire during scheduled appointments at the Comprehensive Health Evaluations for Cincinnati’s Kids Foster Care Center. Questions surveyed demographics, dental history of caregivers, caregiver knowledge of children's oral health habits, and knowledge oral hygiene recommendations.


Results: Data were collected from 54 foster caregivers. One-third of providers (32%) had been foster providers for an average of six years and cared for an average of seven children. Caregivers had on average two foster/kinship children plus one biological child in their household at the time of survey. Fifty-one percent of caregivers had an Associate degree or higher, and 55% identified as the sole caregiver for children. Caregivers identified barriers to oral hygiene for children placed with them as ‘The child has never brushed their teeth’ and ‘Child does not like to brush/refuses to let me brush’. Caregivers identified Late Childhood and Teenagers as most difficult age to support oral hygiene . Caregivers were neutral (32%) as to whether dental home visits would improve oral hygiene.

Conclusion: Caregivers demonstrated knowledge of oral health but reported challenges following recommendations for children in their care, particularly in the late childhood and teenage groups. Targeted oral health education to caregivers during new placement may be beneficial. More research is needed to understand the best setting for oral health education and support.