Grant: Applied Public Health Chair - LOI

Good oral health during early childhood sets the foundation for a lifetime of optimal dental health. Unfortunately, too many Canadian toddlers and preschoolers develop Early Childhood Caries (ECC), defined as any caries experience in the primary dentition in those < 72 months of age. Significant oral health disparities exist in Canada. Nowhere is this more evident than among Aboriginal children in Canada who are disproportionally affected by a more aggressive form of ECC, called Severe ECC (S-ECC). The overarching objective is to develop an integrated and interdisciplinary program of research that would identify innovative strategies to address the epidemic of ECC in Canadian Aboriginal children. The specific objectives are to 1) evaluate the impact of current oral health programs in Manitoba First Nations communities on rates of pediatric dental surgery for children < 6 years of age; 2) determine the prevalence of enamel hypoplasia among young Aboriginal children and identify the cariogenic flora of children with S-ECC; 3) determine the effectiveness of innovative combinations of chemotherapeutics in addressing S-ECC; 4) improve access to early dental visits and prevention using innovative models of care including telehealth technology and involvement of non-dental professionals; and 5) determine the effects of prenatal and early childhood vitamin D supplementation and nutritional support on early childhood oral health.