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Special Health Care Needs

25 - Parental Perception of Child Life Specialists for Special Needs Dentistry

Friday, May 22, 2026
10:40 AM - 10:55 AM PST
Has Audio
Abstract:





Purpose: This ongoing study aims to evaluate Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) involvement at Children’s Hospital Colorado Dental Center as part of pediatric dental care for patients with special health care needs. The goal is to analyze parental perception of their child’s preventive dental visit with CCLS intervention and to measure the perceived effect on access to preventive dental care.


Methods: English speaking/writing parents of children ages 4+ years are given pre and post visit surveys using a data instrument designated as the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap). Parents of children who received CCLS intervention at a previous preventive dental visit were excluded. The pre-visit survey asks parents to assess their child’s level of distress at their previous preventive dental visit without involvement of a CCLS, using a visual analogue scale (VAS), and to identify their goals for a subsequent dental visit with involvement of a CCLS. Goals include sitting in the exam chair, brushing teeth, undergoing a dental exam, receiving fluoride treatment, and completing recommended radiographs. The child then experiences a preventive dental visit with CCLS intervention. The post visit survey uses a VAS to assess parent perception of their child’s distress during the dental visit with CCLS intervention and the likelihood of requesting CCLS presence at future dental visits. The goals achieved and the CCLS interventions provided during the dental visit are recorded by the dental provider using REDCap.
Results and

Conclusion: The project is on-going, and the final analysis will be conducted when the sample is met.

Identify Supporting Agency and Grant Number: Research Supported by the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine, Aurora, CO and Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO.