(By Dr. Joseph D. Lim and Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI)
THE MOST common chronic disease of childhood isn’t obesity or diabetes — it’s tooth decay.
Two professors at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania want to change that with a subscription box of fun, engaging and easy to understand materials for families to learn about dental health and put healthy activities into practice.
Jacqueline Burgette is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Dental Public Health and Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Pittsburgh, popularly known in the United States simply as Pitt.
Peggy Liu is the Ben L. Fryrear Chair in Marketing and Associate Professor of Business Administration at Pitts’ Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business.
Dr. Burgette and Dr. Liu co-founded the Healthy Teeth, Healthy Me Family Activity Box that contains interactive family-friendly educational activities and gifts that help prevent tooth decay.
They are the top winners of the 2021 Pitt Innovation Challenge (PInCh), an annual program established by the university’s Clinical and Translation Science Institute (CTSI) that is designed to help innovators change lives through scientific research. Top winners receive funding and support, enabling their projects to advance to the next level.
Healthy Teeth Healthy Me, along with the projects Parenting While Black: Healing and Growing Together and NextGenET, received the top prize of $100,000, plus a $15,000 bonus award for addressing a health disparity issue.
This year saw six out of 46 teams reviewed and chosen by over 80 judges throughout Western Pennsylvania. All six finalist teams and seven out of the eight PInCh 2021 awardees received the bonus award, said Steven E. Reis, CTSI Director and Associate Senior Vice Chancellor for Clinical and Translational Research in the Health Sciences.
“Funding is a significant gamechanger for projects like this one,” said Dr. Liu. “This $115,000 will allow us to test our box and examine whether it truly works to help increase healthy teeth habits in young children.”
After asking Pittsburgh mothers about their children’s oral health needs, Dr. Burgette and Dr. Liu developed a solution inspired by and accessible to the community.
“The activity box enables families to promote child health in their own home, where the action happens,” Dr. Burgette.
The two will conduct a two-phase multi-methods study. The first phase will comprise interviewing families with children under three years old in demographically diverse Pittsburgh areas on the box’s design, content and usability.
The second phase will consist of a randomized control trial with 300 families to test the box’s effectiveness.
Each of the top projects offered an innovative solution to a challenging health problem.
Dental care is number one on the list of unmet child health needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, and one that Drs. Liu and Burgette recognize disproportionately affects children of color in disadvantaged communities.
Dr. Liu noted that health education materials usually involve literacy barriers, and aren’t fun, engaging or community-sensitive — issues not exclusive to Pittsburgh.
“Not doing something about it is has perpetuated long-term health disparities,” said Dr. Burgette.
A total of $550,000 was awarded to eight teams during PInCh 2021, representing the largest award amount in the past nine program cycles.
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Dr. Joseph D. Lim is the former Associate Dean of the College of Dentistry, University of the East; former Dean, College of Dentistry, National University; Past President and Honorary Fellow of the Asian Oral Implant Academy; Honorary Fellow of the Japan College of Oral Implantologists; and Honorary Life Member of the Thai Association of Dental Implantology. For questions on dental health, e-mail jdlim2008@gmail.com or text 0917-8591515.
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Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI, graduated Doctor of Dental Medicine, University of the Philippines College of Dentistry, Manila, 2011; Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management, De la Salle University, Manila, 2002; and Master of Science (MSc.) in Oral Implantology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, 2019. He is an Associate professor; Fellow, International Congress of Oral Implantologists; Member, American Academy of Implant Dentistry and Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail limdentalcenter@gmail.com/PN
