Abstract
Community preventive programs are one of choice how to improve oral health in school children. Preventive program Healthy Smile has started in the city Hradec Kralove in 2000.
The program comprises from theoretical part including caries prevention education and practical part consisting in tooth brushing instruction and topical application of fluoride gel (Elmex gel, GABA, Germany) twice a year under the supervision of dental hygienist. In the first period of the study (after 4 years of realization) 150 children have been examined in 3 elementary schools in Hradec Kralove, one school (A) with the running program Healthy Smile, the second school( B) with the running program Healthy Teeth and the third school (C) with no preventive program (control group).
In the second period of the study (after 8 years) 81 school children have been examined in the identical schools. Evaluating parameters were: % of caries free, treated and carious dentition, DMFT and RI.
The data have been statistically analysed using the Student t-test and Fisher test, the level of statistical significance was p<0.05. Children from Healthy Smile group had significantly lower value of DMFT (1.10) after 4 years compared to children from Healthy Teeth group (1.88) and control group (1.86) and significantly higher percentage of intact mixed dentition (34.9%) compared to control.
The similar trend has been revealed after 8 years of realization. The lower value of DMFT (2.26) has been found in children in Healthy Smile group, comparing to Healthy Teeth group (3.76) and control (3.03) and intact permanent dentition was found in 48% of children in Healthy Smile group, compared to 16% in Healthy Teeth group and 22.6% in control group.
Better oral health in children from the project Healthy Smile confirmed the importance of not only theoretical education in oral hygiene, but also practical training of tooth brushing together with topical application of fluorides.