2.1 Providing Family-Centered Oral Health Care

Ensuring That Care Is Family-Centered—Continued

Provide services in a language the family can understand. This is the responsibility of any dental office that accepts federal or state funds such as Medicaid as payment for services rendered. Families cannot be required to provide an interpreter, even if it is a relative. Untrained interpreters may not understand technical terms and may omit information or interpret inaccurately, which can negatively affect a child’s oral health.

Make written information available in the primary languages of most of the families the dental office serves to help parents become more informed and practice preventive care at home. Places to obtain such materials include community agencies (e.g., city or county health departments) that serve various ethnic groups or diverse populations. Often, such places have experienced translators who can help. Professional associations such as the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry or the American Dental Association provide information on their Web sites in different languages (see http://www.ada.org and http://www.aapd.org).

Include families in decisions about their child’s care. By being a member of the decision-making team and learning about their choices, parents will be more likely to follow through with recommendations and treatment plans. Oral health professionals can encourage parents to become active partners in their child’s oral health by clearly explaining options for care. Encourage parents to ask questions and take notes or to bring a tape recorder. Provide them with informational materials; a brief, easy-to-understand written summary of your recommendations; and a card for recording appointment dates, services provided, and follow-up or recall appointments.