Early dental assistance – a longitudinal study

Abstract

The conducted study, based on the current preventive philosophy of Dentistry, had the aim of educating the families of small children to make them aware of the importance of preventive measures for the oral health of children aged 0 to 4 years. In a rural community in the outskirts of the city of Araraquara (SP – Brazil), 56 children were weekly cared for by dentists, who instructed the parents on the proper dietary and hygiene habits for oral health promotion. Apart from this, mouth hygiene, clinical examinations, fluoride varnish application and restorative treatment were performed in loco. After 3 years, 12 children from the original group moved into the city and additional 16 children from families who moved in from other places were included in this program. Data from the program were statistically analyzed and comparison among the groups was performed by the Wilcoxon and t tests. The results show a statistically significant difference (p=0.034) between the oral health pattern of the children in the beginning and after 3 years of this program. A decrease in the average of carious teeth and white stains was also noticed (p=0.045; p=0.017). On account of the cultural, social and economic status of the community, it may be concluded that this program produced an effective health promotion and it is highly advisable to perform such programs periodically and on a long term basis, to obtain real development of healthy habits by the population as a whole.