Purpose: The United States Preventive Services Task Force has described dental caries as being the leading chronic disease in children in the US. The purpose of this project is to introduce preventative pediatric fluoride varnish in a family practice setting. Analysis and Synthesis of Support: Recommendations expressed in the literature included the following: proper education for providers, frequent clinical reminders, and education for patients and families. Project Implementation: The evidence-based practice project was implemented in a low-income safety net family practice during a three-month period. Primary care providers and medical staff were educated on the workflow and given resources by doctoral students throughout the implementation phase. Evaluation Criteria: Progress of the implementation was measured by compliance with proper documentation of oral health assessment and billed diagnostic and procedural codes. Outcomes: After twelve weeks, 61.9% of children ages 12, 18, 24 and 30 months had documentation of fluoride varnish application. This met the project's initial goal of 50% of children receiving preventative fluoride varnish application. Recommendations: This project showed feasibility and sustainability within the family practice setting. Sustainability of implementation was displayed through buy-in from providers, medical and dental office staff and through financial reimbursement for fluoride varnish application. Based on the outcomes of the project it is recommended that a larger sample size be considered. Limitations included parental buy-in and lack of knowledge regarding fluoride varnish application.
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