DENTAL CARIES IN CHILDREN THAT PARTICIPATED IN A DENTAL PROGRAM PROVIDING MOTHER AND CHILD CARE

The main goal of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of caries in children that participate in a dental program attending mothers and children in Teresina, Piauí, Brazil. A selection was made of 343 children of both genders, from 3 to 6 years of age. The mothers answered questionnaires and children were examined at the Infant Dental Clinic of the Federal University of Piauí. The epidemiological index dmft was applied and active white spot lesions were included. The SPSS for Windows program, version 11.1 was used and non-parametric tests carried out (Friedman and Kruskal-Wallis). An alpha error of 5% (0.05) was considered for the null hypothesis of false rejection, with a confidence interval of 95%. The results showed that 57.5% (197) of the children were breast-fed for a period longer than 12 months. The mean dmft index and percentages of caries-free children at the age of 3 was 1.86 (58.82%); at 4 years of age 1.94 (57.60%); at 5 years of age 1.98 (56.86%) and at 6 years of age 2.42 (42.55%). The decay component (d) was prevalent at all ages. When active white spot lesions were added to the dmft index, there was an increase of 7.2% for children who had caries activity and/or previous caries experience and 2.61% for those with dmft equal to zero. The daily consumption of fermentable carbohydrates and free demand breast-feeding were factors increasing caries activity. Dental follow-up after the program and the number of daily brushings were shown to be factors providing protection against caries . Based on the results, the authors were able to conclude that the program caused a positive impact on caries disease control, as the number of dental appointments kept influenced the dmft index values in a statistically significant manner.     

Methods and preliminary findings of a cost‐effectiveness study of glass‐ionomer‐based and composite resin sealant materials after 2 yr

The cost‐effectiveness of glass‐carbomer, conventional high‐viscosity glass‐ionomer cement (HVGIC) [without or with heat (light‐emitting diode (LED) thermocuring) application], and composite resin sealants were compared after 2 yr in function. Estimated net costs per sealant were obtained from data on personnel time (measured with activity sampling), transportation, materials, instruments and equipment, and restoration costs for replacing failed sealants from a community trial involving 7‐ to 9‐yr‐old Chinese children. Cost data were standardized to reflect the placement of 1,000 sealants per group. Outcomes were the differences in the number of dentine caries lesions that developed between groups. The average sealant application time ranged from 5.40 min (for composite resin) to 8.09 min (for LED thermocured HVGIC), and the average cost per sealant for 1,000 performed per group (simulation sample) ranged from $US3.73 (for composite resin) to $US7.50 (for glass‐carbomer). The incremental cost‐effectiveness of LED thermocured HVGIC to prevent one additional caries lesion per 1,000 sealants performed was $US1,106 compared with composite resin. Sensitivity analyses showed that differences in the cost of materials across groups had minimal impact on the overall cost. Cost and effectiveness data enhance policymakers’ ability to address issues of availability, access, and compliance associated with poor oral‐health outcomes, particularly when large numbers of children are excluded from care, in economies where oral health services are still developing.     

Caries prevalence,severity, and 3‐year increment,and their impact upon New Zealand adolescents' oral‐health‐related quality of life

Objective: To examine dental caries experience among New Zealand adolescents and determine the nature of caries‐associated differences in oral‐health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL) among adolescents. Method: Follow‐up was conducted of a random sample of 430 children first examined in 2003 at age 13, when they completed the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ_11‐14). At age 16, 255 (59.3% of the baseline sample) were re‐examined and again completed the CPQ_11‐14. Results: Caries prevalence (1 + DMFS) rose from 68% to 79.2%; mean DMFS rose from 2.9 (SD 4.7) to 3.6 (SD 4.8), and the prevalence of high caries experience (5 + DMFS) rose from 20.0% to 40.8%. The 3‐year mean net caries increment of 0.5 surfaces (SD 2.6) was dominated by occlusal surfaces. At both ages, overall CPQ_11‐14 scores, as well as emotional well‐being subscale scores, were significantly higher for those with DMFS values of 5 or more. Conclusion: Caries experience increased over the three years; this age group is caries‐active. Dental caries affects adolescents' OHRQoL, although not as strongly as maybe expected.