DENTISTS' PERSPECTIVES ON THE MANITOBA DENTAL ASSOCIATION'S FREE FIRST VISIT PROGRAM.

Background: In 2010, the Manitoba Dental Association implemented the Free First Visit (FFV) program to provide access to dental screenings for children under 3 years of age and promote the concept of the age 1 dental visit. In this article, we report on dentists' views of the program.

Methods: This qualitative study included 3 focus groups held in Winnipeg, Canada. An interview guide was developed to structure discussions.

Results: Thirty dentists participated. They were extremely supportive of the FFV program and its continuation. Promoting early visits and providing parents with anticipatory guidance were some reasons dentists participated. The most common reason for not participating was that dentists were already providing free dental care for children. Dentists viewed the goals of the program as increasing public awareness of the importance of early dental visits, establishing dental homes, educating parents, identifying early signs of caries and increasing children's level of comfort in the dental clinic. They indicated that the FFV program prompted some parents to take their children earlier than they might have otherwise. They said that most FFVs were provided to families who were already part of their practice. According to participating dentists, most parents were unaware of the FFV program and did not know about the age 1 visit recommendation. Dentists recommended that the FFV program concentrate on promoting the first visit by age 1 message with the free component as a secondary message. Participants recommended increasing general dentists' involvement in the program as most FFVs are currently provided by pediatric dentists.

Conclusions: Most dentists participating in this study were supportive of the FFV program and advocated its continuation in Manitoba.