Prevalence of sealants in relation to dental caries on the permanent molars of 12 and 15-year-old Greek adolescents. A national pathfinder survey

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The use of sealants as an effective measure for the prevention of pit and fissure caries in children has been well documented by several studies; either they are used on an individual or on a public health basis. In order to plan and establish a national preventive program with sealants in a community, it is mandatory to know the epidemiological pattern of caries along with other variables influencing their use and effectiveness. Aims: To assess the utilization and distribution pattern of pit and fissure sealants on the first and second permanent molars of Greek adolescents and to evaluate whether the existing usage of sealants and some socio-demographic factors are correlated to caries prevalence on the population examined</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A stratified cluster sample of 2481 Greek adolescents was selected according to WHO guidelines (1224 twelve and 1,257 fifteen-year-old), living in urban and rural areas in 11 districts within the country. Five calibrated examiners carried out clinical examinations, recording caries experience at the dentine threshold (BASCD criteria) and presence or absence of sealants along with Socio-demographic indicators associated with oral health. Mann Whitney and Pearson's chi-square non parametric tests were utilized for assessing the data. The level of significance was p < 0.05.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Sealants utilization varied considerably within the different districts, with 8,3% of the 12 and 8,0% of the 15-year-old adolescents having at least one sealed molar. Sealants reduced DMFS scores by 11% in the 12-year-olds and by 24% in the 15-year-olds, while 15-year-old adolescents from rural areas had a statistically significant (p = 0.002) less chance of having sealants (71%) compared to children from urban areas. Girls had higher chance to receive sealants in both age groups (26% for the 12 and 19% for the 15-year-old) as well as patients that visited the dentist for prevention compared to those visiting the dentist because they thought they needed a restoration or because they were in pain.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The finding that sealants reduced DMFS scores despite their very low utilization, along with the high prevalence of dental caries found on the occlusal surfaces of the posterior teeth of Greek adolescents, is calling for a national preventive program with sealants which could eliminate caries to a larger extent.</p

Developmental delays and dental caries in low-income preschoolers in the USA: a pilot cross-sectional study and preliminary explanatory model

Abstract Background Anecdotal evidence suggests that low-income preschoolers with developmental delays are at increased risk for dental caries and poor oral health, but there are no published studies based on empirical data. The purpose of this pilot study was two-fold: to examine the relationship between developmental delays and dental caries in low-income preschoolers and to present a preliminary explanatory model on the determinants of caries for enrollees in Head Start, a U.S. school readiness program for low-income preschool-aged children. Methods Data were collected on preschoolers ages 3–5 years at two Head Start centers in Washington, USA (N = 115). The predictor variable was developmental delay status (no/yes). The outcome variable was the prevalence of decayed, missing, and filled surfaces (dmfs) on primary teeth. We used multiple variable Poisson regression models to test the hypothesis that within a population of low-income preschoolers, those with developmental delays would have increased dmfs prevalence than those without developmental delays. Results Seventeen percent of preschoolers had a developmental delay and 51.3% of preschoolers had ≥1 dmfs. Preschoolers with developmental delays had a dmfs prevalence ratio that was 1.26 times as high as preschoolers without developmental delays (95% CI: 1.01, 1.58; P < .04). Other factors associated with increased dmfs prevalence ratios included: not having a dental home (P = .01); low caregiver education (P < .001); and living in a non-fluoridated community (P < .001). Conclusions Our pilot data suggest that developmental delays among low-income preschoolers are associated with increased primary tooth dmfs. Additional research is needed to further examine this relationship. Future interventions and policies should focus on caries prevention strategies within settings like Head Start classrooms that serve low-income preschool-aged children with additional targeted home- and community-based interventions for those with developmental delays

Desigualdades na utilização e no acesso a serviços odontológicos: uma avaliação em nível nacional Inequalities in utilization and access to dental services: a nationwide assessment

Para avaliar a situação de utilização e acesso aos serviços de odontologia no Brasil e estudar diferenciais entre os estratos socioeconômicos, utilizaram-se dados da Pesquisa Nacional por Amostragem de Domicílios (PNAD) de 1998, realizada pelo IBGE. A análise, que levou em conta o desenho amostral, indicou um nível baixo de utilização de serviços odontológicos. Setenta e sete por cento das crianças de 0-6 anos e 4% dos adultos de 20-49 anos nunca haviam consultado um dentista. Entre estes adultos, comparando-se os 20% mais pobres com os 20% mais ricos, observou-se que o número de desassistidos era 16 vezes maior entre os primeiros. No grupo de 0-6 anos, as crianças ricas consultaram o dentista cinco vezes mais do que as pobres no ano anterior à entrevista. Cerca de 4% dos que procuraram atendimento odontológico não o obtiveram, 8% dos quais entre os mais pobres e 1% entre os mais ricos. A maioria (68%) dos atendimentos do grupo mais pobre foi financiada pelo SUS, enquanto 63% deles foram pagos pelos mais ricos. As maiores desigualdades no acesso e na utilização de serviços odontológicos foram encontradas, exatamente, nos grupos de menor acesso ou utilização. A participação do SUS nos atendimentos odontológicos é muito mais baixa do que na atenção médica.<br>To study the utilization and access to dental services in Brazil, and assess differentials across socioeconomic strata, data from the Pesquisa Nacional por Amostragem de Domicílios, 1998 (PNAD/IBGE), was used. The analysis, adjusted for the sampling design, showed a low level of utilization of dental services. Among children 0-6 years of age, 77% had never seen a dentist, and among adults 20-49 years, 4%. In the latter group, the proportion of people that had never been to the dentist in the poorest 20% was 16 times higher than in the richest 20%. The proportion of people visiting a dentist in the year before the interview was greatest in the group 0-6 years of age, rich children presenting a prevalence 5 times higher than the poor ones. About 4% of those who sought dental care did not get it. The proportion was 8% among the poorest compared to 1% among the richest. Most of the attendances (68%) was paid by the national health system among the poorest, while 63% of them were directly paid by the richest. Great inequalities were found in the access and utilization of dental services, maximal exactly among the groups showing smaller access or utilization. The participation of the national health system in dental care is much lower than in medical care