[Oral hygiene prevention actions at Albert Chenevier hospital: Open day for schools]

Since 1994, the dental department of Albert Chenevier hospital in Créteil organizes an “open day” for schoolchildren in Creteil. This action is organized in collaboration with the Creteil Social Action Community Centre (CCAS) health prevention service and is part of a prevention programme designed to reduce caries prevalence in children aged 6 to 7 years. This programme helps especially children from disadvantaged groups or with disabilities. We want to report results for the last three years.

Allezard and Beauvin schools and La Nichée and Leloup special schools attended this open day, consisted of two parts. The first part concerned prevention, designed to teach children to brush their teeth. The second part consisted of screening of tooth decay. CCAS provided disposable toothbrushes, toothpaste and examination instruments. The Albert Chenevier hospital dental department provided hospital personnel, appropriate hygiene materials and premises.

About 50% of children of all ages and from all schools presented tooth decay. The use of dental care decreased between 2011 and 2013 for Allezard and Beauvin schools. It was 100% in 2011 and 2012 for special schools and virtually zero for the Beauvin special school for disabled children. Dental care decreased from year to year for these special classes and for special schools. About 20% of children at the Allezard school had good oral hygiene.

The effect of health education activities can be improved by involving the child’s family. Oral hygiene must be based on a collective approach in which everyone has a role to play: children, parents, educators, teachers, principals and nursing staff should be involved to ensure continuing improvement of oral hygiene and to try to promote access to care. This preventive action therefore remains necessary and the information must be repeated.