Abstract
This paper describes an innovative public health intervention, called 'Smile Grenada', targeting the oral health of children in Grenada utilizing the resources of a US dental school, several oral health care companies, local governmental and public health authorities, and Grenadian school personnel. Methods: Preintervention visual/tactile caries examinations were collected from 1,092 schoolchildren (mean age 9.9 years, standard deviation, SD = 3.7) in 2010. The intervention included: (1) classroom-based toothbrushing with fluoridated toothpaste, (2) fluoride varnish applied by trained dental students, teachers and local providers 3 times a year and (3) glass ionomer sealants placed on first permanent molars in children aged 6-8 years. Postintervention data were collected in May, 2013 (n = 2,301, mean age 9.8 years, SD = 3.7). Decayed and demineralized surfaces were examined for the whole sample and decay/demineralization and sealant retention on 6-year molars were examined separately (ages 6-8 in 2013 cohort). Results: The number of decayed/demineralized surfaces declined across all age groups. The average number of decayed surfaces dropped from 9 at baseline to just over 6 (F1, 3,393 = 69.8, p <0.0001) and the average number of demineralized surfaces dropped from 6 to less than 2 (1.8 surfaces; F1, 3,393 = 819.0, p <0.0001). For children aged 6-8 years, there were statistically significantly fewer decayed surfaces (t1, 2,086 = 12.40, p <0.0001; mean baseline 0.93, SD = 1.75; mean follow-up 0.23, SD = 0.83) and demineralized surfaces (t1, 2,086 = 19.7, p <0.0001; mean baseline 2.11, SD = 2.74; mean follow-up 0.50, SD = 0.97) on 6-year molars. The Smile Grenada program successfully demonstrated a locally sustainable model for improving oral health in children in a developing country.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 68-77 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Caries Research |
| Volume | 50 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Apr 1 2016 |
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Keywords
- Fluoride varnish as a public health intervention
- Oral health workforce diversification
- Public health intervention
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Dentistry(all)
Cite this
Nationwide 2.5-Year School-Based Public Health Intervention Program Designed to Reduce the Incidence of Caries in Children of Grenada. / Wolff, Mark; Hill, Rachel; Wilson-Genderson, Maureen; Hirsch, Stuart; Dasanayake, Ananda.
In: Caries Research, Vol. 50, No. 1, 01.04.2016, p. 68-77.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Nationwide 2.5-Year School-Based Public Health Intervention Program Designed to Reduce the Incidence of Caries in Children of Grenada
AU - Wolff, Mark
AU - Hill, Rachel
AU - Wilson-Genderson, Maureen
AU - Hirsch, Stuart
AU - Dasanayake, Ananda
PY - 2016/4/1
Y1 - 2016/4/1
N2 - This paper describes an innovative public health intervention, called 'Smile Grenada', targeting the oral health of children in Grenada utilizing the resources of a US dental school, several oral health care companies, local governmental and public health authorities, and Grenadian school personnel. Methods: Preintervention visual/tactile caries examinations were collected from 1,092 schoolchildren (mean age 9.9 years, standard deviation, SD = 3.7) in 2010. The intervention included: (1) classroom-based toothbrushing with fluoridated toothpaste, (2) fluoride varnish applied by trained dental students, teachers and local providers 3 times a year and (3) glass ionomer sealants placed on first permanent molars in children aged 6-8 years. Postintervention data were collected in May, 2013 (n = 2,301, mean age 9.8 years, SD = 3.7). Decayed and demineralized surfaces were examined for the whole sample and decay/demineralization and sealant retention on 6-year molars were examined separately (ages 6-8 in 2013 cohort). Results: The number of decayed/demineralized surfaces declined across all age groups. The average number of decayed surfaces dropped from 9 at baseline to just over 6 (F1, 3,393 = 69.8, p <0.0001) and the average number of demineralized surfaces dropped from 6 to less than 2 (1.8 surfaces; F1, 3,393 = 819.0, p <0.0001). For children aged 6-8 years, there were statistically significantly fewer decayed surfaces (t1, 2,086 = 12.40, p <0.0001; mean baseline 0.93, SD = 1.75; mean follow-up 0.23, SD = 0.83) and demineralized surfaces (t1, 2,086 = 19.7, p <0.0001; mean baseline 2.11, SD = 2.74; mean follow-up 0.50, SD = 0.97) on 6-year molars. The Smile Grenada program successfully demonstrated a locally sustainable model for improving oral health in children in a developing country.
AB - This paper describes an innovative public health intervention, called 'Smile Grenada', targeting the oral health of children in Grenada utilizing the resources of a US dental school, several oral health care companies, local governmental and public health authorities, and Grenadian school personnel. Methods: Preintervention visual/tactile caries examinations were collected from 1,092 schoolchildren (mean age 9.9 years, standard deviation, SD = 3.7) in 2010. The intervention included: (1) classroom-based toothbrushing with fluoridated toothpaste, (2) fluoride varnish applied by trained dental students, teachers and local providers 3 times a year and (3) glass ionomer sealants placed on first permanent molars in children aged 6-8 years. Postintervention data were collected in May, 2013 (n = 2,301, mean age 9.8 years, SD = 3.7). Decayed and demineralized surfaces were examined for the whole sample and decay/demineralization and sealant retention on 6-year molars were examined separately (ages 6-8 in 2013 cohort). Results: The number of decayed/demineralized surfaces declined across all age groups. The average number of decayed surfaces dropped from 9 at baseline to just over 6 (F1, 3,393 = 69.8, p <0.0001) and the average number of demineralized surfaces dropped from 6 to less than 2 (1.8 surfaces; F1, 3,393 = 819.0, p <0.0001). For children aged 6-8 years, there were statistically significantly fewer decayed surfaces (t1, 2,086 = 12.40, p <0.0001; mean baseline 0.93, SD = 1.75; mean follow-up 0.23, SD = 0.83) and demineralized surfaces (t1, 2,086 = 19.7, p <0.0001; mean baseline 2.11, SD = 2.74; mean follow-up 0.50, SD = 0.97) on 6-year molars. The Smile Grenada program successfully demonstrated a locally sustainable model for improving oral health in children in a developing country.
KW - Fluoride varnish as a public health intervention
KW - Oral health workforce diversification
KW - Public health intervention
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84968813863&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84968813863&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1159/000439058
DO - 10.1159/000439058
M3 - Article
C2 - 27100682
AN - SCOPUS:84968813863
VL - 50
SP - 68
EP - 77
JO - Caries Research
JF - Caries Research
SN - 0008-6568
IS - 1
ER -