Evaluation of preventive treatment by risk of caries among 13‐year‐olds

Abstract

Implementation of caries preventive treatment in relation to the risk of caries was studied among 13-year-olds (n = 132) in two groups treated in the same public dental clinics in Helsinki: caries patients (n = 100) had the greatest numbers of decayed teeth (DT+dt), 5.5 on average, whereas cavity-free patients (n = 32) had intact teeth. Data taken from patients' personal oral health records served for evaluation of individual need for caries prevention, risk of caries, and preventive treatment given to each patient. Patients with any caries lesions or erupting teeth or poor oral hygiene were considered to be at risk of caries and in need of preventive treatment. The more caries lesions a patient had, the more prevention was expected to have been given. Preventive treatment of caries was weakly or only moderately in accordance with patients' individual needs and risk of developing caries, although patients with more caries lesions tended to have been given more preventive treatment than did those with none or only a few lesions. The majority of preventive measures given were applications of fluoride varnish, whereas motivation of and instruction in oral health care habits remained weak. However, patients whom their dentists had judged to be at high risk of caries received more intensified preventive treatment than did other caries patients. As a conclusion, intensification of caries prevention among high-risk patients is still needed. Dentists should always consider each patient's risk of developing caries to improve quality of preventive treatment.

Incidence of caries in an infant population in Mostoles, Madrid. Evaluation of a preventive program after 7·5 years of follow‐up

“…The difference in means represent a reduction of 50%. Comparing DMF values to those reported in other studies carried out in areas with preventive programmes, a mean DMFT index of 2·34 was reported for 12‐year‐olds after weekly fluoridated mouth rinses for 7 years in one Spanish study [7]; one of 1·9 in Finland [22]; 2·96 in Slovenia [23]; 1·45 in the Community of Cataluna [19]; 2·70 in Tennessee (USA) [4]; and 3·4 in the UK [24]. One study from the UK reports a mean DMFT index similar to ours, together with a 50% prevalence of sealants.…”

Oral hygiene instructions and dietary sugar advice received by adolescents in 1989 and 1997

“…It has been confirmed by an earlier study (18) that the individuals who had initial caries lesions remembered receiving dietary counseling more often than others, and those adolescents who had gingivitis remembered receiving oral hygiene instructions more often than others. Another study, based on patient records, demonstrated that children with more decayed surfaces or initial caries lesions tend to have been given more oral hygiene instructions and more dietary counseling (active prevention) than those with only a few or no lesions (37). Even so, preventive treatment was only weakly or moderately in accordance with the patients' individual needs and with the risk of developing caries; a subject's oral health status making no significant difference in coverage of active prevention given.…”

Effectiveness of the bucco-lingual technique within a school-based supervised toothbrushing program on preventing caries: a randomized controlled trial

“…The planning and focusing of preventive measures is more difficult in low caries prevalence population reason why such activities must be avoided before their effectiveness have been demonstrated and the individuals under risk have been evaluated [11]. A basic preventive program can be more cost-effective than an intensive program for risk individuals [12].…”