Prolonged effect of a mother-child caries preventive program on dental caries in the permanent 1st molars in 9 to 10-year-old children.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the prevalence of caries in the permanent 1st molars of a group of 9 to 10-year-old children, and to determine the long-term effect of a mother-child preventive dental program (PDP) that started when the women were pregnant and continued until the children were 6 years of age.


METHODS
The permanent 1st molars of 37 children in the PDP group were evaluated for caries, both clinically and radiographically, and compared with those of a control group of 42 children who had not participated in the PDP.


RESULTS
Of children in the PDP group, 70% were caries free compared to 33% in the control group (p<0.001). Of permanent 1st molars in the PDP group, 87% were caries-free compared to 61% in the control group (p<0.001). The mean DFS of the PDP children 10 years of age was 0.519+/-0.93 versus 1.57+/-1.38 for the control children (p=0.002).


CONCLUSIONS
Examination of children 4 years after discontinuation of a caries preventive program reflected a long-term reduction in the DFS score of permanent 1st molars.
Gomez
Santiago S
SS
Department of Preventive Dentistry, University of Valparaiso, Valparaiso, Chile. santiago.gomez@uv.cl
Emilson
Claes-Göran
CG
Weber
Adriana A
AA
Uribe
Sergio
S
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006267:Health Education, Dental; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008430:Maternal-Child Health Centers; D008963:Molar; D011313:Preventive Dentistry / Q000379:methods*