Implementation of oral health evidence-based practices in early care education settings across the U.S. during different COVID-19 periods

ObjectiveTo describe the implementation of oral health evidence-based practices in early care education (ECE) centers enrolled in the web-based Go NAPSACC program pre-, during, and post-COVID- 19 stay-at-home (SAH) orders. MethodsRetroactive data from three types of programs (n=2,018), who participated in Go NAPSACC oral health modules, Head Start (n=215), family child care home (FCCH; n=688), and center- based (n=1,115) were analyzed for evidence-based practices (EBP) met. EBP total and EBP met percent scores are reported. ResultsWe found significant differences in oral health EBP total and EBP met percent scores between program type (p<0.001). Head Start programs had statistically significant higher EBP total percentage scores (81.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 78.5, 85.2; p<0.0001) than FCCH (69.5, 95% CI = 67.1, 71.8; p<0.0001), and center-based (59.5, 95% CI = 57.3, 61.7) programs. Head Start programs also had statistically significant higher EBP met scores (62.0, 95% CI = 57.7, 66.3; p<0.0001), than FCCH (49.7, 95% CI = 46.7, 52.7; p<0.0001), and center-based (36.9, 95% CI = 34.1, 39.8) programs. We observed no statistically significant differences among programs based on SAH order period for neither EBP total percentage scores (period, p=0.761; interaction between program type and period, p=0.788) and EBP met scores (period, p=0.178; interaction between program type and SAH order period, p=0.293). ConclusionsAll ECE programs struggled to meet oral health evidence-based practices during three COVID- 19 SAH periods. SAH orders did not explain the difference observed across the three programs.