Preventive programmes in children

It is generally assumed that practice good oral hygiene is better acquired in childhood, when they can be integrated with other developing health habits. Prevention programmes in schools, to provide opportunities for interaction and a stimulating effect daily personal interaction.

Evidence of effectiveness dental school health programs, is questionable, although there may be significant improvement of knowledge and attitudes, behavior changes, as measured by reduction of plaque and gingivitis, usually short-lived. In The?Natural Nashers health education programs in the UK was the great trial on the case 6700 13-14-year-olds who have received teacher-mediated dental health education programme, consisting of three 70-80 minute sessions with an interval of a week. The program involved the principles of active learning and included a presentation of the experimental work, and the use of worksheets. Improvement of plaque and gingivitis levels, while statistically significant, was small and significantly faded between 5 - th and 28-week observation period.

However, the impact of such dental program could improve the absorption of subsequent practice based on preventive care.

Supervised teeth cleaning in schools is an alternative approach which has been evaluated in several studies. For example, in the study of 12-13 year olds, 3 years of supervised daily cleaning leads to reduction of gingivitis in 56% of all tooth surveyed areas (last year), while in the control group showed that 75% more in gingivitis, typical for this stage of childhood.

Although supervised brushing teeth can lead to a General improvement in the health of the gums, a number of additional observations have been made in several studies:

• reduce gingivitis often unevenly distributed within the dentition, for example, at the top front of the mouth, showing higher resolution of inflammation than the rear, less accessible locations; gingivitis points, as a rule, remains somewhat higher proximal surfaces than cheeks and lingual surfaces;
• this type of preventive programs no lasting effect after it is removed.

These limitations of supervised toothbrushing have, to some extent, been overcome in clinical trials in which dental personnel have introduced various other preventive strategies to children on an individual basis.

In 1974, Axelsson and Cristina said the effect of the strict prevention programmes in school children initially 7-14 years. The test group received the professional cleaning of teeth and training in oral hygiene and topical fluoride applications every 2 weeks. Parental involvement was obtained at baseline and after 1 year. The experimental group demonstrated low plaque points and slight signs of gingivitis after 2 years and there was no significant difference between gingivitis points proximal and buccal/language areas. Children in the control group, on the other hand, was much higher, plaque and gingivitis points. Thus, it turns out that careful biweekly cleaning remove deposits with a thread or polishing tips prevent gingivitis in those areas, children. In addition, the plaque control program was equally effective for molars and incisors...