Preventive dental programs for school-age children in 8 countries: pilot survey, 1979

This paper reports the results of a pilot project, sponsored by the FDI Working Group on Oral Health Promotion, which was designed to describe preventive dental programs for school-age children in 10 countries. A mail questionnaire was developed to obtain information about program philosophy, target population, preventive program components, promotion and educational methods, barriers to program development, program priorities and evaluation methods. In this pilot phase, a total of 27 questionnaires were returned from 8 countries (Argentina, Federal Republic of Germany, France, Japan, Singapore, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom). Respondents generally recognized the need to include three major program elements in order to build comprehensive programs, primary preventive measures, early detection and treatment services, and instructional activities for children and adults. Financial problems were cited most frequently as barriers to program development, followed by manpower, public acceptance, policy decisions, policy-maker attitudes, legal constraints and transportation. The domain of educational problems associated with initiating and maintaining children's preventive dental programs is broad and diverse. Educational problems, roles and methods seemed to be pervasive, cutting across all program components. Although the greatest educational emphasis appeared to be on oral hygiene, the need was also recognized to include educational components for each dental program element or service, such as fluoride rinsing. Educational needs related not only to children, but to policy-makers, dental and other health professionals and program and school personnel. The FDI Working Group has expanded the survey and collected data from a much larger number of countries during 1979-1981. Results of the larger survey will be presented at the Annual World Dental Congress of the FDI in Vienna, 1982.