Pediatric Dentistry, Research, Students

Residents Fetner, Sim Awarded 3M ESPE Research Fellowships

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recently named Dr. Maggie Fetner and Dr. Chien Sim as 2012-13 3M ESPE Research Fellows. Fetner and Sim, both school Class of 2014 pediatric residents, were two of just three recipients nationally.

As recipients of this fellowship, Fetner and Sim will both receive a yearlong research fellowship to aid them in their research funding. They will present their research at the AAPD annual session in Orlando, Fla. in May 2013.

Fetner’s research project is titled, “Health Information-Seeking Behaviors among Low Income Caregivers of Young Children: The Role of Oral Health Literacy.” The project examines communication as a critical component in educating caregivers. Specifically, it aims to describe health information-seeking behaviors among low-income caregivers of young children and examine the role of health literacy in both how they currently obtain oral health information and their preference for obtaining oral health information. Her mentor for this research is Dr. Jessica Lee, director of the school’s pediatric residency program.

Sim’s research project is titled, “Dietary Recommendations for Infants and Toddlers among Pediatric Dentists in North Carolina.” The research looks at the knowledge, attitudes and practice patterns of pediatric dentists in North Carolina in delivering dietary recommendations for infants and toddlers, and identifies barriers limiting parents from embracing the professional recommendations. These recommendations often include breastfeeding, bottle-feeding practices, the use of fluoridated water to reconstitute infant formula, and juice consumption. Her mentor is Dr. Hiroko Iida, assistant professor in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry.

The 3M ESPE Research fellowship is a competitive national fellowship that was established in 1999. The fellowships, which are sponsored by 3M ESPE and Healthy Smiles, Healthy Children, are awarded annually to the pediatric dentistry residents who submitted the top three research proposals nationally.