title: A randomized controlled trial of cluster audit and feedback on the quality of dental sealant for rural schoolchildren.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether audit and feedback could improve the quality of the application of dental sealant in rural Thai school children.
  
  
  METHODS
  A single blind, cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospital-based and school-based school sealant applied by dental nurses in Southern province of Thailand.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dental nurses and school children who received dental sealant were involved.
  
  
  METHODS
  The intervention consisted of confidential feedback of data and tailor-made problem-solving workshops.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sealant quality was measured by sealant retention and caries on sealed surfaces at six-month after sealing. The teeth examinations were done among different groups of children prior and after the intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After the intervention, the sealant retention rate increased dramatically in the intervention group, whereas in the control group the rate was similar to that found at baseline. The rate of caries after the intervention was stable in the intervention group and increased slightly in the control group. At the beginning of the study, the adjusted odds ratio of complete sealant retention between the intervention and control group was 0.47 which increased to 1.99 at the end of the study. However, no effect on caries on sealed surfaces was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The intensive focus on actual problems during the audit and feedback improved the dental nurses' performance and the quality of the dental service, although it had no statistical impact on the incidence of caries.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tianviwat
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hintao
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chongsuvivatwong
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thitasomakul
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D004245:DMF Index; D003726:Dental Assistants / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards; D019230:Dental Audit; D001840:Dental Bonding / Q000592:standards; D003729:Dental Care / Q000592:standards*; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants / Q000592:standards*; D058996:Quality Improvement; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013785:Thailand
chemical_list: D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants