[Evaluation of a school-based intensified preventive program for high caries risk children in the Eneppe-Ruhr...

The aim of the present study was to assess the dental health of high caries risk elementary students from the Ennepe-Ruhr district (Westphalia) who were involved in school-based basic and intensified preventive programs. Furthermore, the efficacy of the intensified preventive program (IPP) was evaluated in comparison to the basic preventive program (BPP). Students with intensified preventive care and their parents were asked about their ethnic background, social status, oral health attitudes, and behavior as well as the perception and acceptance of the IPP. A total of 127 students involved in the IPP took part in this study; 106 students participating in the BPP served as the control group. Dental caries were scored according to the 1997 WHO standard. Caries prevalence and experience did not differ between students participating in the BPP or IPP. Migration-related shortcomings in terms of dental self-reliance and the use of fluoridated salt were found. Future IPPs should focus on a holistic and setting-based preventive strategy considering migration-related characteristics.