Effect of regular small group instruction per se on oral health status of Danish schoolchildren

A 1-year study of the isolated effect of an intensive motivation program aimed at improving the oral health status of 11-13-year-old schoolchildren was conducted in a Danish provincial town where all children have access to a free and comprehensive school oral health program. The effect was negligible as measured by epidemiologic indices.     

Effectiveness of a dental education program on oral cleanliness of schoolchildren in Israel

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a dental health education program providing dental health information and toothbrushing instruction on oral cleanliness. Two methods of instruction, individual and group instruction, are presented in this study. The plaque situation was assessed in a group of 175 children, 11-14 years of age, by the Patient Hygiene Performance (PHP) method at the beginning of the study and at 1, 2, and 12 months. It was found that immediately after instruction the dental health education program resulted in improved oral hygiene home care for the two experimental groups. However, the improvement noted was achieved regardless of the method of toothbrushing instruction (individual versus group). Moreover, it was demonstrated that maintenance of a satisfactory level of oral hygiene home care was dependent upon review of educational programs and toothbrushing instruction and not related to the method of instruction.     

Effect on caries and gingivitis of a preventive program based on oral hygiene measures and fluoride application

Abstract The present investigation was performed to estimate the effect on caries and gingivitis of a plaque control program delivered at different intervals and supplemented with different fluoride compounds. The study ran for 2 years and was completed by 260 children who were 13–14 years old at the beginning. Professional toothcleaning in combination with detailed oral hygiene instructions repeated once a month or every 3 months significantly improved their oral hygiene status and reduced clinical signs of gingivitis. The addition of fluoride (NaF or MFP) in mouthrinses and toothpastes significantly reduced the number of new carious lesions. No significant differences were observed in gingival health and caries activity between the programs delivered once a month and every 3 months.     

Evaluation of a dental health education program for midwives

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of a dental health program for the midwives in primary health care services in Izmir, Turkey. METHODS: One hundred sixty-four midwives participated in the pilot project. The program was evaluated by quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative method assessed the improvement of the dental knowledge level, whereas the qualitative method was conducted to determine the assessments of the participants. RESULTS: The percentages of correct responses given to knowledge items were higher after the program. The midwives defined their role as an important first step for dental services. Education atmosphere was the best characteristic of the program, whereas lack of a written document was an important limitation. CONCLUSION: Despite some limitations, the program was an effective way of improving the oral health knowledge of the midwives and their motivation for dental services.     

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.     

上海市5岁本地和外来儿童患龋状况和口腔健康行为的调查

目的分析上海市5岁本地和外来儿童患龋状况和口腔健康行为的差异,为设计口腔卫生服务项目和相关政策制订提供信息支持。方法采用分层等容量随机抽样方法,调查上海市共575名5岁儿童口腔健康状况,并对家长进行相关问卷调查。结果 5岁乳牙患龋率为65.74%,龋均为3.35,本地儿童明显低于外来儿童(P<0.05)。5岁儿童龋失补充填构成比为12.57%,本地和外来儿童有显著差异(P<0.01)。外来儿童睡前进食甜食的比例高于本地儿童(P<0.05)。外来儿童每天刷牙2次及以上的仅占19.44%,明显低于本地儿童(P<0.01)。从没看过牙的外来儿童比例比本地儿童更高(P<0.01)。结论上海外来儿童患龋状况和口腔健康行为均比本地儿童差,未来需加强对外来儿童的口腔保健力度,有针对性地采取防治措施及健康教育,提高儿童口腔健康整体水平。     

Effect of oral hygiene education on children with and without subsequent orthodontic treatment

Abstract – The aim of the present investigation was to study whether an intense period of individual oral hygiene education would result in proper dental health behavior and to compare the effects of such education on 30 individuals undergoing subsequent orthodontic treatment and 30 controls without such treatment. The investigation consisted of two experimental periods: one period of oral hygiene education during which information on proper plaque control was given fortnightly for 6 weeks and one follow-up period of 30 months corresponding to the orthodontic treatment phase. The results suggest that it is possible to achieve and maintain a high standard of dental health behavior following an intense period of individual oral hygiene education. A certain deterioration of the gingival status was observed after 3 months in the orthodontically treated children. This was interpreted as being due to the influence of subgingivally located orthodontic bands. After 30 months a high level of oral hygiene and gingival status as well as a low caries activity were still apparent with only minor and insignificant differences between the children subject to orthodontic treatment and the controls.     

Evaluation of a Dental Public Health Program for Old-age Pensioners in Denmark

A high priority is given to improvements in the oral health of the elderly in Scandinavia. In 1987 a Danish municipality established a dental public health care program for old-age pensioners. All 67-year-old citizens were offered school-based preventive and curative care using guidelines and principles established by the Danish Municipal Dental Service for children. Care was provided free of charge. Citizens not wishing to obtain care through the public system could do so from private dental practitioners. Reimbursement for care obtained from the private system was provided by the National Health Insurance and the municipality. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of the program after three years of operation. A follow-up design was used and data were collected by interviews and clinical registrations. At baseline and follow-up 216 (71%) and 235 (77%) pensioners, respectively, were interviewed about their self-assessments of dental health, dental knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. Clinical data were collected only for the elderly who participated in the public program, and included 194 persons at baseline and 187 at follow-up. These data included information on tooth loss, dental caries, periodontal health, and presence and function of removable dentures. At the follow-up, 86 percent of all respondents had regular dental visits of at least once a year compared to 46 percent at baseline; 75 percent participated in the public program and 11 percent obtained care from private practitioners. At the end of the intervention period, fewer elderly reported symptoms of poor oral health or impaired function of dentures. Moreover, improvements in self-care, knowledge, and attitudes in oral health were found. The clinical data showed a reduction in unmet need for dental treatment. More preventive care services were given to attenders of the public program than the private one. The present evaluation of systematic public dental care demonstrates positive results in improvment of the oral health and life-quality among the elderly.     

The Rural Dental Health Program: Long-term Impact of Two Dental Delivery Systems on Children''s Oral Health

This paper addresses the long-term effect of two dental delivery systems established during the Rural Dental Health Program (RDHP) in 1975. At that time 725 children in grades K-2 were assigned randomly to an enriched dental health education program or regular health education program and to a SCHOOL- or COMMUNITY-based dental delivery system. Seven years after funding for RDHP ended, children originally assigned to the COMMUNITY group utilized more professional services and showed a higher level of dental knowledge than children assigned to the SCHOOL group. In addition, COMMUNITY-based children had, on average, twice as many sealed teeth. While the follow-up study did not reveal any statistically significant difference in the clinical oral health indices (DMFS, gingival index, calculus index, plaque index, periodontal probing depth, and orthodontic treatment priority index) the COMMUNITY-based children's higher level of professional dental service utilization, greater number of sealed teeth, and increased dental knowledge should lead to a higher level of oral health in the long run.     

A comparison of perceived and actual dental needs of a select group of children in Texas.

Dental caries (DMFS) evaluations were made for 150 children in Grades 2 to 7. Three months later, a trained interviewer questioned 120 children from 100 families to determine atitudes toward oral hygiene and dental health on the part of (a) the child, (b) the parent, along with (c) the child's perception of the parent's attitude, and (d) the parent's perception of the child's attitude. Evaluation of the perceived attitudes toward oral hygiene revealed a statistically significant correlation between the child's attitude and the degree of dental health as well as between the attitudes of child and parent. Conclusions were: (1) parents were not accurate in their perception of the dental health habits of their children, (2) children were not performing acceptable routine oral hygiene procedures, (3) children accurately perceived the attitudes of their parents toward dental health, and (4) children's actual dental health behavior as manifested by dental health status was related to the attitudes of their parents.     

儿童乳牙患龋状况及其家庭口腔健康行为的差异

目的研究家庭口腔健康行为对辽宁省城乡儿童乳牙患龋状况的影响。方法采用多阶段、分层、等容量、随机抽样的方法,运用世界卫生组织《口腔健康调查基本方法》诊断标准对辽宁省城乡792名5岁儿童进行乳牙龋病检查,并随机抽取50%受检者的家长进行问卷调查。结果1）辽宁省5岁儿童乳牙患龋率为73.86%,龋均（dmft）为4.38;其中城市儿童乳牙患龋率为64.14%,农村儿童乳牙患龋率为83.59%,城乡之间儿童乳牙患龋率具有统计学差异（P<0.01）。2）口腔健康行为分析表明,农村儿童进食糖果、巧克力、糖水、碳酸饮料、果汁等的频率高于城市。城市儿童开始刷牙时间、频率、用含氟牙膏的比例均高于农村。城市家长普遍学历高,收入多,儿童定期检查和采取预防措施的人数高于农村。结论辽宁省,尤其是农村地区应加强对家庭口腔健康行为的教育。     

城乡3～5岁儿童家庭口腔健康行为与乳牙患龋状况对比观察

目的：探讨城乡3～5岁儿童家庭口腔健康行为与乳牙患龋状况的相关性。方法：采用多阶段、分层、随机抽样的方法,在北京、吉林4个地区幼儿园（城乡各2个）抽取3～5岁儿童共512例,城市儿童268人,农村儿童244人进行乳牙龋病检查,并对受检者的家长进行家庭口腔健康行为问卷。结果：①3～5岁儿童乳牙患龋率为71.23%,龋均4.16;城市儿童乳牙患龋率62.26%,农村81.41%,城乡儿童之间乳牙患龋率具有统计学差异（P〈0.01）。②农村儿童进食甜点心、碳酸饮料、果汁、糖果/巧克力等的频率高于城市。城市儿童开始刷牙时间、频率、用含氟牙膏的比例高于农村。城市家长对儿童定期检查和采取预防措施的人数高于农村。结论：加强对农村儿童家庭口腔健康行为的教育至关重要。     

Changes in toothbrushing frequency in relation to changes in oral health‐related knowledge and attitudes among children – a longitudinal study

Tolvanen M, Lahti S, Hausen H. Changes in toothbrushing frequency in relation to changes in oral health‐related knowledge and attitudes among children – a longitudinal study. Eur J Oral Sci 2010; 118: 284–289. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 Eur J Oral Sci The aim of this study was to determine the associations between changes in self‐reported toothbrushing frequency and the knowledge and attitudes related to oral health. The study population consisted of all fifth and sixth graders who started the 2001–2002 school year in Pori (n = 1,691); of these, 1,362 were monitored throughout the 3.4‐yr study. Data were gathered by questionnaires before, in the middle, and after the follow‐up, which was divided into two periods. Associations between changes in toothbrushing frequency, sum score of knowledge items, and sum scores of items in attitudinal factors were studied. The attitudinal factor structure was determined by principal component analyses. The associations were evaluated using mean values and general linear models for repeated measures. Toothbrushing frequency and knowledge and attitudes related to oral health improved among the same children during the study, with the changes usually taking place in the same time‐period. In different time‐periods, different children’s toothbrushing and oral health‐related knowledge and attitudes improved. Based on our results, changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behavior are related, but children are ready for change at different times. Therefore, oral health promotion should be designed to be a continuous process rather than a short‐term intervention.     

Control of occlusal caries in the first permanent molars by oral hygiene

Abstract Caries of the pits and fissures of permanent teeth continues to be a problem for children, newly erupted permanent molars being particularly at risk. Oral hygiene measures have been shown to be able to reduce the incidence of caries. The aim of this study was to compare the caries-preventive effects on newly erupted first permanent molars of a professional tooth cleaning and oral health education program (test) with a standard preventive program (control), comprising selective fissure sealing and application of topical fluorides. School Dental Service clinics of the Health Department of Western Australia, in Perth, were assigned to four test or four control clinics. Schoolchildren, mean age 6.3±0.3 (s) years with sound, newly erupted first permanent molars were included in the study (207 test, 197 control). After 12 months, 186 test and 163 control children were examined by an examiner who was ‘blind’ to the test or control status of the children. Caries of the first permanent molars developed in 34 test and 35 control children; the estimated risk ratio was 0.86 (95% CI 0.56, 1.30). Children in the test group had an average DFT score of 0.26±0.62 compared with 0.29±0.64 DFT in the control group (t-test, P=0.67). The 12-month results suggest that there was no statistically significant difference between the caries-preventive effects of a professional tooth cleaning and oral health education program and a program based on selective fissure sealing and application of topical fluorides.     

Effect of dental health care instruction and prophylaxis on knowledge, attitude and behavior in Dutch military personnel

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of a single dental health care instruction and prophylaxis on knowledge, attitude and behavior. Ninety-six army recruits from two military camps were randomly allocated to four groups: a control group, a group that received an oral prophylaxis, a group that received a single dental health care instruction, and a group that had both prophylaxis and dental health care instruction. Treatment effects were measured by a questionnaire 1 month and 3 months after the instruction. A single dental health care instruction improved knowledge, and some areas of behavior. The improvement in attitude was not clear. The improvements were small and showed a tendency to diminish after 1 month.     

Impact of a periodontal course on oral hygiene and gingival health among senior dental students

This survey attempted to determine the impact of the periodontal course on oral hygiene and gingival health among 50 senior dental students. The course included the following: patient motivation, instruction in oval hygiene procedures and plaque control, scaling and curellage, temporary splinting and occlusal adjustment. Without advance notice, plaque deposits were scored using the Plaque Index and gingival health was determined using the Gingival Index. The results were collected at the beginning and at the end of the periodontal course (about 2 months). The results were analyzed using the paired t-test. No improvement of either oral hygiene or gingival health was noted at the end of the periodontal course. It seems that even some dental students, who should know the direct relationship between bacterial plaque and periodontal diseases and should be better motivated than the average patient, failed to demonstrate effective oral hygiene. It is difficult to expect an improvement of patient oral hygiene, when the patients have been motivated by students who are unable to perform satisfactory personal oral hygiene themselves. It is suggested that a greater emphasis be placed on patient motivation and instruction in oral hygiene throughout the dental curriculum.     

Oral health education in schools: promoting health agents

Abstract: Purpose: The aim of this study was to verify the influence of preschool children participating in an oral health education programme on daily health practices of their families, through parent’s perception. Methods: A sample of 119 parents of 5‐ to 6‐year‐old preschool children were selected. Data were collected using a structured open–closed questionnaire, self‐administered. The questions focused on parents’ knowledge about activities of oral health education conducted in school, the importance given by them to these activities, learning from their offspring and the presence of habit change at home. Results: In total, 63 (52.9%) parents agreed to participate. Ninety‐eight per cent knew about educative and preventive activities developed at school and all of them affirmed that these activities were important, mainly because of knowledge, motivation and improvement in children’s health. Ninety and half per cent of parents reported that they learned something about oral health from their children and, among these, almost half (47.8%) cited toothbrushing as the indicator for better learning. Besides this, 87.3% of participants revealed the change in oral health habits of their family members. Conclusion: Preschool children were able to transmit knowledge acquired at school to their parents that included change in oral health routine of their family members.     

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目的了解辽宁省沈阳市铁西区3岁儿童口腔健康行为和口腔健康状况,从而为制定相应的龋齿预防措施提供参考。方法通过临床检查与问卷调查相结合的方式,于2011年11月至2012年2月对随机抽取的沈阳市铁西区10所幼儿园共计473名3岁儿童进行龋病流行病学调查,并对结果进行分析。临床检查参照世界卫生组织口腔健康调查标准。结果本次共抽样调查3岁儿童473人,其中患龋者236人,占调查总人数49.9%。被调查儿童龋面均(DMFS)为3.53。最易患龋的牙面为上颌中切牙近中面。Logistic回归分析显示:儿童缩短使用奶瓶时间和家长协助儿童刷牙可有效降低牙齿患龋率。结论沈阳市铁西区3岁儿童患龋率较高,充填率低。建议加大该区口腔教育宣传,推广牙病防治适宜技术,减少儿童口腔疾病的发生。     

Effectiveness of primary school-based oral health education in West Java,Indonesia

A study in West Java has indicated that involvement of primary health care personnel and schoolteachers in oral health education (OHE) at primary schools is a feasible approach that is sustainable. AIM: The present study aims to assess the effects of that school-based OHE programme on pupils who had completed the programme one and a half years ago. METHODS: Eight experimental and six control primary schools in the same area participated in the study. Out of each school 10 children, aged 8-12-years old, were randomly selected. RESULTS: ANOVA with age and gender as co-variables showed statistically significantly lower (21%) habitual plaque scores among children from experimental schools as compared to those from control schools. Tooth brushing effectiveness had significantly improved among experimental children and they took longer for tooth brushing when supervised. The dmft/dmfs values were comparable but the DMFT/DMFS values of children from experimental schools tended to be lower (not statistically significant) than of those from control schools. Differences in oral health knowledge were apparent but self-reported habits pertaining to oral health were comparable between children from experimental and control schools. CONCLUSION: This school-based OHE programme had a moderate positive effect on oral health knowledge and on habitual plaque levels and on the effectiveness of tooth brushing. The effects on caries levels and on self-reported behaviour were inconclusive.     

Parental smoking behavior and caries experience in preschool children

Abstract – Objectives: The study aimed to explore the association between parental smoking behavior and caries experience in young children, taking into account the socioeconomic status and oral health‐related behavior. Methods: Cross‐sectional data from 1250 3‐year‐old and 1283 5‐year‐old children from four geographical areas in Flanders (Belgium) were analyzed. Children were examined at school by trained dentist‐examiners, using standard criteria and calibrated examination methodology. Data on oral hygiene and dietary habits, oral health behavior, sociodemographic variables, and parental smoking behavior were obtained through structured questionnaires, completed by the parents. Results: Visible caries experience (i.e. d₃mft > 0) was seen in 7% of 3‐year olds and 31% of 5‐year olds. In both age groups, 30% of the parents reported smoking behavior. Univariable logistic regression analysis with caries prevalence as the dependent variable, revealed that parental smoking was a significant independent variable. After controlling for age, gender, sociodemographic characteristics, oral hygiene, and dietary habits, the effect of family smoking status was no longer significant in 3‐year‐old children (OR = 1.98; 95% CI: 0.68–5.76). In 5‐year olds the significant relationship between parental smoking behavior and caries experience persisted after adjusting for the other evaluated variables (OR = 3.36; 95% CI: 1.49–7.58). Conclusion: The results of this study illustrate the existence of a significant association between parental smoking behavior and caries experience in 5‐year‐old children.