Evaluation of Pacific Islands Early Childhood Caries Prevention Project: Republic of the Marshall Islands.
OBJECTIVE
This communication reports an outcomes evaluation of the Pacific Islands Early Childhood Caries Prevention Project.


METHODS
The evaluation includes children in three conditions: a) topical fluoride varnish three times per school year; b) varnish plus twice-per-day toothbrushing; and c) intervention 2 plus three-times-per-day xylitol containing gummy bear snacks at school and home visits to encourage parental involvement. For this evaluation, groups 2 and 3 have been combined.


RESULTS
One year after project implementation, mean decayed, extracted, or filled primary teeth was 10.3 [standard deviation (SD)= 4.3] teeth for group 1, and 8.2 (SD = 4.0) teeth for the combination of groups 2 and 3 (P < 0.05). Twenty-four percent of group 1 had cavitated lesions in any permanent molar versus 12.8 percent in groups 2 and 3 combined (P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Evaluation confirms the outcome of a program including both in-school twice-daily toothbrushing with fluoridated toothpaste and frequent applications of fluoride varnish.
Milgrom
Peter
P
Dental Public Health Sciences, University of Washington, Box 357475, Seattle, WA 98195-7475, USA. dfrc@u.washington.edu
Tut
Ohnmar K
OK
D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005460:Fluorides, Topical; D006078:Government Programs; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008849:Micronesia; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010139:Pacific Islands; D015397:Program Evaluation; D014099:Toothbrushing; D014100:Toothpastes; D014993:Xylitol
D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D005460:Fluorides, Topical; D014100:Toothpastes; D014993:Xylitol