The role of a dietitian as a member of the dental health care team was examined with the aim of stimulating discussion between the dental and dietetic professions and encouraging an expanding interaction and dialogue between the two groups. The dietitian spent 17.6 days working in two dental offices. One hundred-sixty patients and 8 dental staff members participated in this pilot study. Thirty-eight percent of the patients were 16 years old or younger; 55% were between 17 and 65 years old, and 7% were 66 or older. All members of the dental health care team filled out pre- and post-exposure questionnaires. The dietitian spent 58% of her total time involved in direct patient contact; most counseling sessions were initial visits. Sixty-two percent of the patients and 50% of the dentist/staff members stated on the pre-exposure questionnaire that they had a need for nutrition advice. After exposure to the dietitian, the perception of need for nutrition advice increased 21% among patients and 22% among the dentist/staff members. Fifty-eight percent of the patients said on the pre-exposure questionnaire that patient fees of $3 to $5 were appropriate, 41% of the patients thought that $10 to $15 was acceptable, and none said that $20 was acceptable. Results suggest that a dietitian can play an important role in the dental office and it is suggested that dietitians might effectively meet this need without putting a financial burden on the practice.
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