Development of a preventive dental care programme for children and adolescents in the county of Jönköping 1973-1979.

Dental research the last two decades has created a basis for understanding the etiology, prevention and treatment of dental diseases. As a consequence, particular interest has been focused on the effect of prophylactic measures, efficiently organized and carried out, for various groups of individuals. However, it has proved difficult to organize systematic integrated preventive dental care for large parts of the population. The present paper describes in detail the development of integrated preventive dental care for children and adolescents in the County of Jönköping. Sweden, from 1973 to 1979. Based on the circumstances that existed before 1973 as regards e.g. personnel and the nature and content of the prophylactic measures, a description is made of the aims, methods, target groups, organization, financing and evaluation of a preventive dental care organization gradually developed for the age groups 0-16 years in the whole county (308,000 inhabitants; 4,000 individuals in each age-group). Important practical information as to the performance of the organization is given as well as examples of both basic preventive dental care programmes and supplementary programmes intended for individuals exhibiting a high prevalence of caries and gingivitis. As an effect of the programme instituted of remarkable improvement in dental health among children and adolescents has been achieved.