OBJECTIVE: As in many other countries, caries decline in Germany has left pockets of persisting caries prevalence. This study aims to assess the benefit of a 10-year community-based prophylaxis program, focused on regular toothbrushing with fluoridated toothpastes or gels and involving institutions noted as having the highest caries levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The caries data (d3mft/D3MFT) was extracted from the results of the compulsory school entry examinations in Greifswald/Germany (2003/2004-2012/2013) involving ∼280 6-7-year-olds each year. Data from schools that include children with the highest caries levels and coming from low-SES families were analyzed independently and used for comparisons. Additionally, caries trends from Greifswald were compared to data from representative national surveys (2004-2009). RESULTS: Data from 2871 children were available for analysis. The baseline d3mft value (2003/2004) was 3.2±3.8; the d3-component corresponded to 70% of the index. The latest caries data (2012/2013) showed a strong reduction (43.8%) in caries prevalence (d3mft=1.8±2.5). Similarly, the SiC-Index declined significantly from 2003/2004 (7.9±2.3) to 2012/2013 (4.8±2.3; p<0.001). Nevertheless, in all analyzed years the d3mft values and the SiC-Index were significantly higher in the institutions that included children coming from lower-SES families (p<0.05). The amount of caries reduction between 2004 and 2009 corresponded to 38% in Greifswald as compared to 13% in Germany. CONCLUSIONS: This strategy involving a combination of regular toothbrushing and fluoride application has achieved an overall substantial caries reduction, thereby indicating that caries-control strategies for heterogeneous risk groups can be highly successful as setting approach. However, activities targeting high risk groups still need to be strengthened.
OBJECTIVE: As in many other countries, caries decline in Germany has left pockets of persisting caries prevalence. This study aims to assess the benefit of a 10-year community-based prophylaxis program, focused on regular toothbrushing with fluoridated toothpastes or gels and involving institutions noted as having the highest caries levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The caries data (d3mft/D3MFT) was extracted from the results of the compulsory school entry examinations in Greifswald/Germany (2003/2004-2012/2013) involving ∼280 6-7-year-olds each year. Data from schools that include children with the highest caries levels and coming from low-SES families were analyzed independently and used for comparisons. Additionally, caries trends from Greifswald were compared to data from representative national surveys (2004-2009). RESULTS: Data from 2871 children were available for analysis. The baseline d3mft value (2003/2004) was 3.2±3.8; the d3-component corresponded to 70% of the index. The latest caries data (2012/2013) showed a strong reduction (43.8%) in caries prevalence (d3mft=1.8±2.5). Similarly, the SiC-Index declined significantly from 2003/2004 (7.9±2.3) to 2012/2013 (4.8±2.3; p<0.001). Nevertheless, in all analyzed years the d3mft values and the SiC-Index were significantly higher in the institutions that included children coming from lower-SES families (p<0.05). The amount of caries reduction between 2004 and 2009 corresponded to 38% in Greifswald as compared to 13% in Germany. CONCLUSIONS: This strategy involving a combination of regular toothbrushing and fluoride application has achieved an overall substantial caries reduction, thereby indicating that caries-control strategies for heterogeneous risk groups can be highly successful as setting approach. However, activities targeting high risk groups still need to be strengthened.
Entities:
Keywords:
caries decline; caries prevalence; dmft; significant caries index
Authors: Anna Peters; Karolin Brandt; Andreas Wienke; Hans-Günter Schaller Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-05-09 Impact factor: 4.614
Authors: Michael Raedel; Yvonne Wagner; Heinz-Werner Priess; Stefanie Samietz; Steffen Bohm; Michael H Walter Journal: Caries Res Date: 2021-06-29 Impact factor: 4.056