title: Caries prevalence, treatment level, and sealant use related to school lunch program participation.
abstract: A total of 2,753 schoolchildren (8-11 years old) from two school districts received visual-tactile examinations for caries. The school districts were approximately 15 miles apart and located in fluoride-deficient (F less than 0.3 ppm) Long Island, New York. The higher socioeconomic community (HSES) had 9.2 percent of its students enrolled in the free or reduced-payment school lunch program; the lower socioeconomic community (LSES) had 50.3 percent enrolled. The LSES community had a higher caries prevalence, more untreated lesions, fewer caries-free children, and fewer children treated with sealants. School lunch programs provide an index to identify communities for dental programs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Children's Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, State University of New York, Stony Brook 11794-8701.
authors.forename: L W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Ripa
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Leske
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Kaufman
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants; D015995:Prevalence; D012574:Schools; D012923:Social Class
chemical_list: D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants