304 - Improving Dental Health Outcomes in Pediatric Kidney Transplant Recipients

The objective of this quality improvement project is to improve oral health for pediatric kidney transplant recipients at MUSC by standardizing the pre-transplant dental clearance process, implementing educational intervention, establishing guidelines on prophylaxis, and improving compliance with dental care pre- and post-transplant. This project’s aims are to increase the percentage of patients with a dental home, patient understanding of the importance of oral health in overall transplant care and eventually expand efforts to children seen at MUSC awaiting liver transplants. Baseline data was obtained through a survey assessing pediatric kidney transplant patients' home care, diet, dental history, and perceived importance of oral health. An educational intervention was carried out following completion of the survey. Education was then delivered, as well as oral screenings, and facilitated dental visits. Topics discussed include home care and the relationship between systemic and oral health. Outcome measures include frequency of dental visits, dietary habits, oral hygiene, and perception of the importance of dental health. From the collected data, it was found that 1/3 patients had not seen a dentist in over a year, and there was a statistically significant increase in parents understanding the importance of oral health and overall health, understanding their child’s medical condition can impact dental health, and understanding their child’s dental health can impact their overall health. Preliminary findings suggest the need for improved dental education and care for pediatric kidney transplant recipients and improvements have been made within the project to continue improving patient education and quality of life.