Anjum Khurshid1. 1. Clinical Research and Evaluation, Integrated Care Collaboration, Austin, TX 78741, USA. akhurshid@gmail.com
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The effect of preventive oral healthcare on dental caries in Hispanic children in a school district near the US-Mexico border in Texas was studied. METHODS: We collected socioeconomic and demographic data for enrolled students through a written survey of parents. The information was linked to screening data for students in the same school that had been collected during a previously completed teledentistry demonstration project. The presence of dental sealants served as a proxy for preventive oral healthcare. We compared the effect of sealant presence on caries. The student population was 97.5% Hispanic and 82% were economically disadvantaged. RESULTS: Forty-four percent of the children in our study sample had caries. The prevalence of sealants was 19%; 32% is the national average. The results of regression models confirm the hypothesis that preventive services significantly reduce the occurrence of dental caries (OR = 0.241, P < 0.01). Higher household income (OR = 0.437, P < 0.05) and parent health insurance (OR = 0.497, P < 0.05) were also associated with reduced caries incidence. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that preventive services reduce the incidence of caries in Hispanic children in the study population.
OBJECTIVE: The effect of preventive oral healthcare on dental caries in Hispanic children in a school district near the US-Mexico border in Texas was studied. METHODS: We collected socioeconomic and demographic data for enrolled students through a written survey of parents. The information was linked to screening data for students in the same school that had been collected during a previously completed teledentistry demonstration project. The presence of dental sealants served as a proxy for preventive oral healthcare. We compared the effect of sealant presence on caries. The student population was 97.5% Hispanic and 82% were economically disadvantaged. RESULTS: Forty-four percent of the children in our study sample had caries. The prevalence of sealants was 19%; 32% is the national average. The results of regression models confirm the hypothesis that preventive services significantly reduce the occurrence of dental caries (OR = 0.241, P < 0.01). Higher household income (OR = 0.437, P < 0.05) and parent health insurance (OR = 0.497, P < 0.05) were also associated with reduced caries incidence. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that preventive services reduce the incidence of caries in Hispanic children in the study population.
Authors: Eugenio D Beltrán-Aguilar; Laurie K Barker; María Teresa Canto; Bruce A Dye; Barbara F Gooch; Susan O Griffin; Jeffrey Hyman; Freder Jaramillo; Albert Kingman; Ruth Nowjack-Raymer; Robert H Selwitz; Tianxia Wu Journal: MMWR Surveill Summ Date: 2005-08-26
Authors: Charlotte W Lewis; Brian D Johnston; Kristi A Linsenmeyar; Alexis Williams; Wendy Mouradian Journal: Pediatrics Date: 2007-03 Impact factor: 7.124