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Evaluation of an early childhood caries prevention program at an urban pediatric clinic
Glenn Minah1, Christina Lin, Sarah Coors
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Maryland Dental School, Baltimore, Md, USA. gminah@umaryland.edu
Insights
A dental caries prevention program in urban clinics significantly reduced cavities and mutans streptococci (MS) in low-income infants and toddlers. Oral MS levels effectively predicted future caries risk.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Public Health
- Preventive Medicine
Background:
- Dental caries is a prevalent issue, particularly in low-income populations.
- Early intervention is crucial for managing caries risk in infants and toddlers.
- Pediatric primary care settings offer opportunities for implementing preventive dental programs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a risk-based dental caries prevention program.
- The program was implemented in an urban pediatric primary care clinic.
- The target population included low-income residents.
Main Methods:
- A 26-month demonstration trial involved 219 children aged 6-27 months.
- Preventive services included caries-risk assessments, mutans streptococci (MS) monitoring, fluoride varnish, counseling, and referrals.
- A prevention group (6-15 months) was compared to a control group (18-27 months).
Main Results:
- Children in the prevention group had significantly fewer mean carious dental surfaces (0.1 vs 1.29, P=.01).
- The prevention group showed over 8-fold less MS (P=.01) compared to the control group.
- No significant difference was found in the number of precavitated lesions.
Conclusions:
- Caries prevention measures effectively reduced dental caries experience in low socioeconomic status infants and toddlers.
- Oral MS levels served as a reliable indicator of future caries status.
- Results support establishing caries prevention programs in urban pediatric primary care clinics.
Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to evaluate a risk-based dental caries prevention program at an urban pediatric primary care clinic serving low-income residents.
Methods:
A demonstration caries prevention trial lasting 26 months was conducted with 219 6- to 27-month-old children. A "prevention" group of 6- to 15-month-old children (initial visit) were compared at the end of the trial with a "comparison" group at their initial visit. The latter children were patients of the same clinic who were 12 months older (18-27 months). Preventive services included: caries-risk assessments; mutans streptococci (MS) monitoring; fluoride varnish applications; dental health counseling; referral for dental treatment, if indicated; and periodic recalls.
Results:
Prevention group children at the last recall experienced fewer mean carious dental surfaces (0.1 vs 1.29, P=.01) and over 8-fold less MS (P=.01) than comparison group subjects at their initial visit. The number of precavitated lesions was not significantly different
Conclusions:
Administration of prevention measures was shown to reduce dental caries experience in low socioeconomic status infants and toddlers, and oral MS levels were a reliable indicator of future caries status. Outcomes support establishment of caries prevention programs at urban primary care pediatric clinics.
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