Impact of public preventive programmes on oral quality of life of 11 to 12-yr-old school students.
OBJECTIVE
The objective was to analyze the impact of preventive programmes on oral quality of life in school students aged 11-12 yrs.


METHODS
In the school year 1996/97, a quasi-experimental study was initiated in Granada province with four groups of students aged 6-7 yrs: Sealant + Fluoride (sealants on first permanent molars applied in the health centre for a 3-yr active programme, and fluoride varnish applied every four months for 3 yrs, n=65), Sealant (only sealants, n=80), Fluoride (only fluoride varnish, n=107) and Control group (n=59). All students were examined every 6 months at school during the 3-yr active programme and received an oral health report after each examination. At 5.5 yrs (school year 2002/03), after 2.5 yrs with no programme, students were again examined and completed a questionnaire on oral quality of life scored from -6 (minimum) to +6 (maximum).


RESULTS
Oral quality of life values (+/- standard deviation) were: 3.31+/-0.30 (Sealant + Fluoride), 3.11+/-0.27 (Sealant), 3.18+/-0.23 (Fluoride) and 2.95+/-0.32 (Control), with no statistically significant differences among them.


CONCLUSIONS
Fissure sealant and fluoride varnish programmes had no significant influence on oral quality of life after a 5.5- yr follow-up (3 yrs of active programme plus 2.5 yrs of discontinuation).
Hita Iglesias
Cristina
C
School of Dentistry, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
Prados Atienza
María Belén
MB
Bravo
Manuel
M
Prados Sánchez
Estrella
E
Muñoz Soto
Esther
E
González Rodríguez
María Paloma
MP
D002648:Child; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D011313:Preventive Dentistry; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*