Effects of comprehensive preventive programmes on oral health in children and juveniles in congested industrial areas

For the attainment of oral health for all by the year 2000 WHO and FDI have together established specific goals. Global indicators formulated for various age groups can be achieved by nationally devised and regionally realized programmes. Prospects for the attainment of these goals are higher in those countries in which dental health has been integrated into a system of medical health care. Legal requirements, where they exist, are helpful in putting preventive programmes into operation. On this basis wide-reaching preventive programmes for 3-18-year-olds have been introduced in the past 20 years in various industrialized countries. Frequently, well developed systems of treatment provide the foundation for these preventive services. Fluoride intake from water, salt or tablets is combined with controlled oral hygiene, topical applications or oral rinses with fluoride-containing solutions and uncontrolled use of fluoridated toothpastes. Special attention is directed to oral health education and sugar restriction in the snacks taken between meals. The effectiveness and efficacy of the different preventive measures are analysed by resorting to the experience gained in the German Democratic Republic and to reports of results obtained with preventive programmes in other countries. From this survey the global indicators of oral health for the 5-6, 12 and 18-year-olds must be considered realistic for they can be met by a systematic approach on a population-wide basis.