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Comprehensive, School-Based Preventive Dentistry: Program Details and Students' Unmet Dental Needs
Muath A Aldosari1, Omair M Bukhari2, Ryan Richard Ruff3
1Assistant Professor, (muath_aldosari@hsdm.harvard.edu), Department of Periodontics and Community Dentistry, College of Dentistry, 3094 King Saud University, Riyadh 12372-7224, Saudi Arabia; Lecturer, Department of Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, 188 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115., USA.
The Journal of School Health
|August 14, 2021
Summary
A school-based mobile program provided comprehensive dental care to over 6,900 children, revealing high rates of untreated dental decay. This highlights the need for expanded caries prevention strategies beyond traditional dental practices.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Describes the ForsythKids program, a regional, school-based mobile initiative for caries prevention.
- Focuses on participants' baseline demographics and oral health status.
Purpose of the Study:
- To detail the design and program specifics of a comprehensive, school-based mobile caries prevention program.
- To present baseline data on the oral health of children participating in the ForsythKids program.
Main Methods:
- Targeted elementary schools in Massachusetts with high rates of students receiving free or reduced-price meals.
- Implemented interventions based on systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials for caries prevention.
- Provided semiannual dental examinations and comprehensive preventive care to participating students.
Main Results:
- Collected data over 6 years from 6,927 children across more than 50 schools.
- Reported a 15% overall participation rate.
- Found that 54% of children had dental decay at baseline, with 32% having untreated decay.
Conclusions:
- Untreated dental decay in participating children was double the national average.
- The study underscores the necessity for caries prevention efforts extending beyond conventional dental practices.
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