Effectiveness of comprehensive intervention for prevention and treatment of dental caries in salvadoran schoolchildren

Abstract

Dental caries is highly prevalent in school-age children in El Salvador, affecting their quality of life and at the same time representing a high cost for society and health services. To confront this problem, preventive and damage limitation strategies are applied. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a 12-month comprehensive intervention for the prevention and treatment of caries in permanent teeth in school children between 9 and 11 years of age. The schoolchildren were attended in Community Family Health Units in 2017. A total of 332 children participated and were treated with dental prophylaxis, fluoride varnish applications, pit and fissure sealants, fillings and oral health education. To determine the effectiveness, the reduction of dental plaque was evaluated according to the simplified index of oral hygiene (ISHO) and dental caries with the index of decayed, missing and filled surfaces (DMF-S). The survival of sealants and fillings was also evaluated. Among the results it is highlighted that initially 39.63 % of the school children had "regular" oral hygiene and a DMF-S of 5.36, reporting 54.57 % with "optimal" oral hygiene and a DMF-S of 4.60 after one year. It was concluded that the comprehensive intervention was effective, due to the low incidence of dental caries, high survival of SSF and fillings and reduction of dental bacterial plaque.