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An oral health promotion programme for nursing caries
F A Hamilton1, K E Davis, A S Blinkhorn
1Salford Community Health Care NHS Trust, UK.
Aim:
To evaluate an oral health promotion programme involving health visitors and mothers of 8-month-old babies in order to address some of the risk factors associated with nursing caries.
Design:
Two cross-sectional studies using postal questionnaires.
Sample:
A random sample of 250 mothers who had not received the oral health promotion programme and 250 mothers who had received the programme.
Setting:
The City of Salford.
Results:
The oral health promotion programme significantly improved mothers recall of advice given by health visitors encouraging the use of a feeder cup, brushing their babies' teeth with fluoride toothpaste and restricting sugary foods and drinks. Significant improvements were also found in recall of advice regarding the use of sugar-free medicine and registering babies with a dentist. The programme encouraged a higher proportion of the mothers to bring their children to clinics for a hearing check.
Conclusion:
A simple oral health promotion programme facilitated by health visitors improved recall of advice and clinic visiting behaviour.