Pediatric dental disease, while largely preventable, continues to impact too many children and families, particularly those disproportionately impacted by racial and economic inequalities. Pediatricians are essential partners in keeping children’s teeth healthy but may lack the knowledge, training, or incentive to incorporate oral health promotion and disease prevention services into care provision for young children. With a longstanding commitment to children’s oral health, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Oral Health embarked on a project in 2023 to better understand pediatricians’ provision of preventive oral health services for children ≤5 years of age and assess pediatrician familiarity with and use of a new modality for treating dental caries – silver diamine fluoride (SDF). The project included a Pediatric Oral Health Practices Survey with over 300 pediatricians and a series of key informant interviews.

This report summarizes findings from 12 key informant interviews conducted during July and August 2023.