Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is the most common chronic disease of childhood despite
being preventable. Because of its high prevalence, its impact on the quality of life of young
children, and its potential for increasing their risk of caries in the permanent dentition, ECC is
arguably one of the most serious and costly health conditions among young children. Poor access
to dental services by rural Alaskans and poor dental care in general are considered the main
contributing factors to the continued rise in ECC in Alaska. Primary care providers (PCPs), such
as nurse practitioners (NPs), are in unique positions to complement the work of dental
professionals because PCPs often provide care before a child’s first dental visit. This project
assessed the practice habits and perceived competence of Alaska’s NPs with regards to
performing pediatric oral health-related tasks as well as knowledge of current tools. Data was
collected from NPs in Alaska by survey. This data was analyzed to find specific areas of
educational-need and to model an information kit for NPs in the State of Alaska to improve their
primary pediatric practice. The results indicated that NPs in the State of Alaska believe oral
heath assessments and preventative education should be included in pediatric well-child care but
their frequency of actual performance and perceived confidence was low. Recommendations to
improve frequency of oral health-related tasks during visits with pediatric populations focus on
increasing education in these areas for Alaska’s NPs
