Plaque and gingivitis among Norwegian children participating ina dental health program

ABSTRACT – The prevalence of dental plaque, gingivitis, and of supra- as well as subgingival retentions was assessed in 154 Children 11–13 years old. Only the first molars the incisors were examined. In each child 48 scorings were carried out by the Plaque Index. the Gingival Index, and the Retention Index. Plaque Index scores of 0 and 2 amounted to 16± 13% and 19±14, respectively. The Gingival Index score 0 was only 0.6±2%, and score 2 amounted to 22±12%, i.c., 99% of the observations indicated gingivitis, Moderate gingivitis, i.c. score 2, was most frequent in the interproximal areas, and lingually at the mandibular molars, Sex differences in amount of plaque as well as in prevalence of gingivitis were negligible.     

Effect on dental caries of a dental public health program for Danish schoolchildren

ABSTRACT The effect of a dental public health program comprising schoolchildren under the Danish Act on Child Dental Health has been evaluated after 5 years of operation. The program comprised complete restorative care for all children from kindergarten through the 9th grade (16 years of age), but only children attending kindergarten through third grade (10 years) are included in the present study. Each grade comprised approximately 50 children. A number of preventive procedures such as topical fluoride application, oral hygiene instruction and various other educational procedures have been used. The treatment services resulted in almost complete elimination of the “D” component and the “M” component in the DMFS index. The preventive services resulted in marked reductions in the total DMFS index, and almost complete elimination of new carious lesions after enrollment in the program. The non-experimental nature of the study makes it impossible to determine the effect of each one of the preventive procedures used in the program.     

Periodontal disease prevalence and dental needs among schoolchildren in Saudi Arabia

Abstract The study population consisted of 1174 intermediate Saudi schoolchildren; 601 girls and 573 boys, aged 13, 14 and 15 years. Periodontal disease was assessed by the method recommended by WHO and data were computerized by using IBM 3033, SAS package. Boys had significantly higher debris, calculus deposits and intense gingivitis counts than girls by sex and age. But for advanced periodontal involvement, the result shows no significant differences by sex and age. There was a position correlation between debris, calculus and periodontal diseases There was a highly significant difference between girls and boys. The results of this study suggest the need for an oral health program for the entire community.     

Caries predicting factors in adult patients participating in a dental health program

The main purpose was to study various factors with respect to predicting dental caries. From a population of 442 employees at a shipyard, 68 patients with an average age of 56 yr were selected for the present investigation. They were examined once a year during a 2-yr period with respect to: 1) number of new caries lesions, and 2) a series of caries related factors, i.e., DMFS, oral hygiene status, dietary habits, numbers of Streptococcus mutans and lactobacilli in saliva, and secretion rate and buffer effect of saliva. The median values of all studied variables as found at the baseline examination were more favorable in the caries inactive (n = 30) than in the caries active group (n = 38), but only DMFS (P less than 0.001), dietary score (P less than 0.05), and number of S. mutans in saliva (P less than 0.05) differed significantly between the two groups. Number of S. mutans showed the highest sensitivity value, followed by dietary score. The main conclusion from this study is, however, that in spite of a relationship between caries activity and unfavorable values, especially for DMFS, dietary score, and number of S. mutans in saliva, it would have been difficult to predict the caries active patients on an individual level.     

Inequalities in the distribution of dental caries among 12-year-old Brazilian schoolchildren

We assessed the inequality in the distribution of dental caries and the association between indicators of socioeconomic status and caries experience in a representative sample of schoolchildren. This study followed a cross-sectional design, with a sample of 792 schoolchildren aged 12 years, representative of this age group in Santa Maria, RS, Brazil. Guardians answered questions on socioeconomic status and a dental examination provided information on the dental caries experience (DMF-T). Inequality in dental caries distribution was measured by the Gini coefficient and the Significant Caries Index (SiC). The assessment of association used Poisson regression models. Socioeconomic factors were associated with prevalence of dental caries for the whole sample and also for individuals with a high-caries level. Children from low-income households had the highest prevalence of dental caries. The Gini coefficient was 0.7 and the SiC Index 2.5. The percentage of caries prevalence was 39.3% (95% CI: 35.8%-42.8%) and the mean for DMF-T was 0.9 (± SD 1.5). Inequalities in the distribution of dental caries were observed and socioeconomic factors were found to be strong predictors of the prevalence of oral disease in children of this age group.     

Socioeconomic and psychosocial predictors of dental healthcare use among Brazilian preschool children

Background

Disparities in utilization of oral healthcare services have been attributed to socioeconomic and individual behavioral factors. Parents’ socioeconomic status, demographics, schooling, and perceptions of oral health may influence their children’s use of dental services. This cross-sectional study assessed the relationships between socioeconomic and psychosocial factors and the utilization of dental health services by children aged 1–5 years.

Methods

Data were collected through clinical exams and a structured questionnaire administered during the National Day of Children’s Vaccination. A Poisson regression model was used to estimate prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals.

Results

Data were collected from a total of 478 children. Only 112 (23.68%) were found to have visited a dentist; 67.77% of those had seen the dentist for preventive care. Most (63.11%) used public rather than private services. The use of dental services varied according to parental socioeconomic status; children from low socioeconomic backgrounds and those whose parents rated their oral health as “poor” used dental services less frequently. The reason for visiting the dentist also varied with socioeconomic status, in that children of parents with poor socioeconomic status and who reported their child’s oral health as “fair/poor” were less likely to have visited the dentist for preventive care.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that psychosocial and socioeconomic factors are important predictors of the utilization of dental care services.

     

Oral health knowledge and dental health practices among schoolchildren in Jerash district/Jordan

Abstract:  Objective: This study aims at determining the oral health awareness level, the patterns of dental health practices and their potential relationship with certain socio-demographic factors, including gender (sex), mother's education and the socio-economic status of the family, among 14–15-year-old schoolchildren in Jerash Governorate, Northern Jordan. Participants and method: Cross-sectional survey including 1362 public schoolchildren, who completed a self-administered structured questionnaire. Results: Overall, the level of oral health knowledge among the surveyed children was low. Of the 1362 schoolchildren included in this survey, only 18 and 17% did know the meaning of plaque and what plaque can cause, respectively. Female performance was significantly better than male performance on two of the six knowledge questions ( P <  0.01). While 17% of children have never been to the dentist, there are 10% only who visit the dentist on regular basis. The majority (56%) of these pupils said they visit the dentist when there is a serious dental or oral health problem. Fear of the dentist and difficulty in obtaining an appointment with the dentist were the causes of irregular visit to the dental clinic in 28 and 19% of the cases, respectively. Conclusion: Results of this study prove that oral health awareness level among public schoolchildren in Jordan is still poor and needs to be improved. Based upon these findings, the establishment of a long-term school-based oral health education programme in Jordan is highly recommended.     

Effect of two preventive programs on oral health knowledge and habits among Brazilian schoolchildren

Abstract – The effect upon dental health knowledge and dental health behavior of a comprehensive and a less comprehensive preventive program was compared in a 3-yr follow up study. The comprehensive program included active participation of the students and parental involvement. The study group consisted of 186 Brazilian schoolchildren 13 yr of age at the start of the program. A reference group from another school of similar socioeconomic level was included in the analyses. The data were collected from questionnaires filled in by the children under surveillance after the completion of the program. Significant differences in knowledge as well as in reported behavior were observed. The children enrolled in the comprehensive program in general scored higher in dental health knowledge than did those in the less comprehensive program. However, the latter group of children seemed to have acquired more correct knowledge during the period than had the control and reference children. Similar results were obtained concerning reported dental health behavior.     

Dental health status and attitudes to dental care in families participating in a Danish fluoride tablet program

The caries experience and dental fluorosis of 84 Danish children, who had used fluoride tablets for 1-4 yr in the period 1976-80, were compared with those of a group matching in sex, age, place of living, and socioeconomic status. The average age of the children at the time of examination was 5.8 yr. A recording of mothers' attitudes to dental care, knowledge about tooth brushing, attitudes to candy, and number of teeth in the maxilla showed no difference between the fluoride tablet group and the non-users' group. Moreover, there was no significant difference between the two groups with respect to dental caries. The findings are discussed in relation to recent reports on the decline of dental caries resulting from widespread use of local administration of fluorides.     

Relationship between traumatic dental injuries and obesity in Brazilian schoolchildren

Abstract –  The aim of this study was to investigate if obesity is associated to the occurrence of dental trauma in the permanent anterior teeth of adolescents from Recife, Brazil. It included a random sample of 1046 boys and girls aged 12 years attending both public and private schools. The sample size was calculated using a 95% confidence interval level; a statistical significance of 5%; and an odds ratio of 1.55. The sample selection was carried out in two stages: first, schools were selected by simple sampling, and then children were chosen using a proportionality coefficient. Data were collected through clinical examinations and interviews, after examiner calibration. Dental trauma was classified according to ANDREASEN; ANDREASEN criteria. Obesity was considered according to National Center of Health Statistics – NCHS (USA) procedures for the assessment of nutritional status. Subjects were considered as non-obese when the observed percentile was ≤97, while obese adolescent presented percentiles >97. Data were summarized and analyzed using the statistical software spss . The prevalence of traumatic injuries was higher among obese boys than obese girls (17.2% and 16.2%, respectively), but there were no statistically significant differences between traumatic dental injuries and obesity ( P  > 0.05). It was concluded that the presence of obesity was not associated to traumatic dental injuries in adolescents from Recife, Brazil.     

Periodontal status and treatment needs among regular dental patients

A survey of periodontal status and treatment needs among dental patients was performed using the CPITN criteria, with the worst score per sextant being recorded, based on examination of all surfaces of all teeth. Regularly attending patients (n = 1092) from 36 general dental practices in two North Carolina counties were examined. The most frequently found worst conditions-per-patient across all ages were the presence of calculus (35 per cent) and the presence of 4-5 mm pockets (35 per cent). The most common worst condition-per-sextant was bleeding (32 per cent) followed by calculus (28 per cent). Less than a fifth of all sextants exhibited pocketing, although half of the patients had at least a 4-5 mm pocket. The mean amount of treatment time required for these conditions was 33 minutes, reflecting the general absence of the need for complex periodontal treatment.     

Effect of a preventive program on dental caries and mutans streptococci in Polish schoolchildren

The effect of a preventive program was studied in Polish schoolchildren. The study was carried out in a group of 133 children, aged 10-12 yr, divided into a test and a control group. Children in the test group were initially treated with temporary restorations and were then given oral health education and preventive treatment by a specially trained chairside assistant. The preventive treatment included prophylaxis and topical fluoride treatment and was carried out at least 10 times a year. The mean 3-yr DFS increment was 1.7 in the test and 10.9 in the control group. The salivary counts of mutans streptococci were similar in test and control group at baseline and after 1 and 2 yr. At the examination after 3 yr, a difference was established between the two groups.