March 2019

Volume 36, Issue 1

Caries-preventive efficacy of a supervised school toothbrushing programme in Northland, New Zealand

Authors: Ellen Clark Lyndie A. Foster Page Kelly Larkins Sophia Leon de la Barra W. Murray Thomson
doi: 10.1922/CDH_4337Clark08

Abstract

Background: Toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste reduces the incidence of dental caries. Objective: To evaluate a supervised school toothbrushing programme to reduce dental caries experience in children. Basic Research Design: Quasi-experimental study. All children had routine dental examinations at baseline using the ICDAS to record dental caries, along with bitewing radiographs. Half of the children were involved in a supervised toothbrushing programme. Examinations were repeated at the end of the school year. Clinical setting: Northland, New Zealand. Participants: 335 10-13-year-old New Zealand children with high caries experience. Interventions: Half of the children participated in the supervised toothbrushing session each school day; the other half had no intervention. Main outcome measures: Caries increment, determined by comparing the baseline and follow-up status of each tooth surface. Results: At baseline, there were 335 children, of whom 240 (71.6%) were followed up. The ICDAS net caries increment for those in the toothbrushing group was a mean of 11.7 surfaces improved; the control group had a mean of 8.6 surfaces which had deteriorated. Caries incidence for those in the toothbrushing group was 7.3%; that for the control group was 71.5%. Multivariate analysis showed that membership of the brushing group was the only statistically significant predictor of a lower net caries increment. Conclusion: A supervised school toothbrushing programme can reduce caries increment in a population experiencing high levels of dental disease. Keywords: Supervised tooth brushing, prevention, caries, New Zealand

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Other articles in this issue

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Editorial ‘No simple solutions, no single ingredient’: Systems-orientated approaches for addressing Wicked Problems in population oral health 3-4 Download
Dental Public Health in Action: The use of the NICE ten step model to conduct an oral health needs assessment in South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw 5-8 Download
Caries-preventive efficacy of a supervised school toothbrushing programme in Northland, New Zealand 9-16 Download
Socioeconomic Variation in the association between Malocclusion and Oral Health Related Quality of Life 17-21 Download
Low rates of dental attendance by the age of one and inequality between local government administrative areas in England 22-26 Download
The relationship between body mass index and oral health status among Saudi adults: a cross-sectional study 27-32 Download
The acceptability of fluoride varnish and fissure sealant treatments in children aged 6-9 delivered in a school setting 33-38 Download
Interventions to reduce socio-economic inequalities in dental service utilisation – a systematic review 39-45 Download
Embarrassing realities: The portrayal of dentistry in reality tv ‘dentertainment’ 46-54 Download
Systems science and oral health: Implications for Dental Public Health? 55-62 Download
The Boundaries between Caries and Periodontal Diseases. What are the Implications for Education in Dental Public Health? Proceedings of EADPH/SESPO Pre-Congress Workshop held on Wednesday, 17 October 2018 at The Centro Cultural Sa Nostra Congress Cen 63-86 Download

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