Knowledge Transfer Statement: Preventing early childhood caries in American Indian children has proved to be an unexpectedly challenging goal. Biological and behavioral variables, as well as parental psychosocial characteristics and experiences, suggest new routes for understanding and mitigating the progress of disease. We provide our reflections after a decade of studying these issues in collaboration with tribal communities.
AlbinoJTiwariTHendersonWGThomasJBryantLLBatlinerTSBraunPAWilsonAQuissellDO. 2014. Learning from caries-free children in a high caries American Indian population. J Public Health Dent. 74(4):293–300.
2.
BraunPAQuissellDOHendersonWGBryantLLGregorichSEGeorgeCToledoNCudeiiDSmithVJohsNet al. 2016. Cluster-randomized, community-based, tribally delivered oral health promotion trial in Navajo Head Start Children. J Dent Res. 95(11):1237–1244.
3.
CaufieldPWLiYBromageTG. 2012. Hypoplasia-associated severe early childhood caries—a proposed definition. J Dent Res. 91(6):544–550.
4.
LynchDJVillhauerALWarrenJJMarshallTADawsonDVBlanchetteDRPhippsKRStarrDEDrakeDR. 2015. Genotypic characterization of initial acquisition of Streptococcus mutans in American Indian children. J Oral Microbiol. 7:27182.
5.
WarrenJJFontanaMBlanchetteDRDawsonDVDrakeDRLevySMKolkerJLPhippsKR. 2016. Timing of primary tooth emergence among US racial and ethnic groups. J Public Health Dent. 76(4):259–262.
6.
PettiS.2010. Why guidelines for early childhood caries prevention could be ineffective amongst children at high risk. J Dent. 38(12):946–955.
7.
WattG.2002. The inverse care law today. Lancet. 360(9328):252–254.