[Caries prevention strategies for 6-year-olds. A randomized controlled study]

Area of Science:

• Dental Public Health
• Pediatric Dentistry
• Preventive Dentistry

Context:

• A randomized controlled trial was conducted in a general dental practice in the Netherlands.
• The study involved 230 six-year-old children from a mixed socioeconomic background.
• Caries prevention strategies were evaluated over a three-year period.

Purpose:

• To compare the effectiveness of a non-operative caries treatment programme (NOCTP) against a control group and a group receiving supplemental topical fluoride applications (IPFA).
• To assess caries increment (DMFS) in different preventive strategy groups.

Summary:

• The NOCTP group exhibited the lowest caries increment (0.15 DMFS) after three years.
• The IPFA group had a DMFS increment of 0.34, and the control group had 0.47.
• The study included 179 children in the final analysis (54 NOCTP, 62 IPFA, 63 controls).

Impact:

• The findings suggest NOCTP may be a promising caries prevention strategy.
• Results indicate a potential for improved caries control in pediatric dental care.
• A larger-scale follow-up study is recommended to validate these promising results and compare NOCTP with standard prevention methods.