Help for families to prevent repeat cavities after children's dental surgery
Official title: Testing a Multi-behavioral Intervention to Improve Oral Health Behaviors in the Pediatric Dental Surgery Population
Funded at University of Illinois at Chicago · NIH-11195717 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project offers coaching by community health workers to help parents of preschool children who had dental surgery improve toothbrushing and cut back on sugary foods.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Illinois at Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 20, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $796,396 |
| NIH project number | 5UH3DE032003-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11195717 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are preschool-aged children (about 1–5 years) scheduled for dental surgery under general anesthesia for severe early childhood caries, especially Medicaid-enrolled or low-income families.
✕Less likely to help
Children who do not need dental surgery, older teens or adults, or families who cannot take part in the phone sessions are unlikely to get direct benefit from this program.
What this research studies
If my young child needs dental surgery for severe cavities, this program gives me a one-hour in-person coaching session at the surgery visit and ten 30-minute follow-up phone sessions over six months. The community health worker focuses on parenting strategies, practical toothbrushing routines, and ways to reduce my child's added sugar intake. The team will track how often my child brushes and what percent of calories come from added sugars to see if habits change. The goal is to stop cavities from coming back after surgery by supporting families when they are motivated to change.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help families keep their child's teeth healthy after surgery and reduce repeat operations and pain.
How similar studies have gone: Similar parent-focused and community health worker programs have shown promise for improving brushing and diet, but delivering a structured intervention at the time of dental surgery to prevent recurrence is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lee, Helen H — University of Illinois at Chicago
- Study coordinator: Lee, Helen H
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.