PL EN
REVIEW PAPER
Prevention of caries in children and adolescents and oral health promotion – the role of health care professionals
 
More details
Hide details
1
Zakład Pediatrii Społecznej, Katedra Pielęgniarstwa Pediatrycznego UM we Wrocławiu
 
 
Corresponding author
Anna Stodolak   

Zakład Pediatrii Społecznej, Katedra Pielęgniarstwa Pediatrycznego AM we Wrocławiu, Poland
 
 
Med Og Nauk Zdr. 2014;20(1):76-81
 
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Introduction and objectives:
Dental caries (tooth decay) is a common disease of the oral cavity, usually followed by serious outcomes and generating considerable costs, especially when it concerns children and adolescents. If permanent teeth are affected, prompt diagnosis and intensive treatment are indispensable, which may be difficult because of considerable limitations in access to public dental care, and is additionally burdened by a continuous decrease of life standards and impoverishment of families and communities. Moreover, dental caries is detected in children at an increasingly younger age, as early as in preschool period and deciduous teeth. The objectives of the presented study are as follows: • presentation of the latest data concerning pathogenesis, detection and prevention of dental caries; • concepts of dental home and health-promoting schools; • description of health care professionals’ role at each stage of prophylaxis and education; • anti-caries preventive recommendations for parents and adolescents.

Brief presentation of current knowledge:
According to available literature, some current data concerning pathogenesis, diagnosis and prevention of dental caries are presented. In addition, concepts of dental home and health-promoting schools are mentioned, together with recommendations for parents and adolescents, normally provided by health care staff

Summary:
Correct and adequate prevention of dental caries, if implemented early (preferably even before the child’s birth), exerts highly beneficial effects upon the lives of children, their oral health and general health status. Long-lasting changes in attitude and life-style, as well as decreasing barriers in access to dental care, are supposed to decrease the prevalence of this common disease, with obvious benefits for patients and the whole of society

REFERENCES (35)
1.
Brown JP. Dental caries prediction to target high-risk individuals in community-based preventive programs is problematic. J Evid Base Dent Pract 2010; 10: 241–243.
 
2.
Gill P, Chestnutt IG, Channing D. Opportunities and challenges to promoting oral health in primary schools. Community Dent Health 2009; 26(3): 188–192.
 
3.
Krol DM. Dental caries, oral health and pediatricians. Curr Probl Pediatr Adolesc Health Care 2003; 33(8): 253–270.
 
4.
Johnsen DC, Gerstenmaier JH, DiSantis TA, Berkowitz RJ. Susceptibility of nursing-caries children to future approximal molar decay. Pediatric Dentistry 1986; 8(2): 168–170.
 
5.
Szilagyi PG. Oral health in children: a pediatric health priority. Academic Pediatrics 2009; 9(6): 372–273.
 
6.
Milgrom P, Zero DT, Tanzer JM. An examination of the advances in science and technology of prevention of tooth decay in young children since the Surgeon General’s report on oral health. Academic Pediatrics 2009; 9: 404–409.
 
7.
Mertz E, Mouradian WE. Addressing children’s oral health in the new millennium: trends in the dental workforce. Academic Pediatrics 2009; 9(6): 433–439.
 
8.
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force: Prevention of dental caries in preschool children. Recommendations and rationale. A, J Prev Med 2004; 26(4): 326–329.
 
9.
Bader JD, Rozier RG, Lohr KN, Frame PS. Physicians’ role in preventing dental caries in preschool children. A summary of the evidence for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Am J Prev Med 2004; 26(4): 315–325.
 
10.
Hallas D, Fernandez J, Lim L, Carobene M. Nursing strategies to reduce the incidence of early childhood caries in culturally diverse populations. Journal of Pediatric Nursing 2011; 26: 248–256.
 
11.
Woynarowska B. Zapobieganie próchnicy zębów i chorobom przyzębia. W: Woynarowska B. (red.). Profilaktyka w pediatrii, Wyd.2. Warszawa, PZWL; 2008.
 
12.
Petersen PE, Bourgeois D, Bratthall D, Ogawa H. Oral health information systems – towards measuring progress in oral health promotion and disease prevention. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2005; 83(9): 686–693.
 
13.
Yost J, Li Y. Promoting oral health from birth through childhood: prevention of early childhood caries. MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs 2008; 33(1): 17–23.
 
14.
Saied-Moallemi Z, Virtanen JI, Vekhalahti MM, Tehranchi A, Murtomaa H. School-based intervention to promote preadolescents’ gingival health: a community trial. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2009; 37: 518–526.
 
15.
Limited evidence for the effectiveness of primary care physician interventions for preventing dental caries in preschool children. (Abstracted from: Bader JD, Rozier RG, Lohn KN. Physicians’ roles in preventing dental caries in preschool children – a summary of the evidence for the US Preventive Services Task Force. Am J Prev Med 2004;26:315–325), Evidence-Based Healthcare & Public Health 2004; 8: 357–358.
 
16.
Berg J. A community-based program for dental caries prevention in children was found to overcome multiple barriers to care and improve children’s oral health. J Evid Base Dent Pract 2009; 9: 240–241.
 
17.
Mouradian WE. Children’s oral health disparities: widening the lens. Dental Abstracts 2006; 51(3): 132–134.
 
18.
Nash DA. Adding dental therapists to the health care team to improve access to oral health care for children. Academic Pediatrics 2009; 9(6): 446–451.
 
19.
Petersen PE, WHO, Geneva: World Health Organization global policy for improvement of oral health – World Health Assembly 2007. International Dental Journal 2008; 58(3): 115–121.
 
20.
Mobley C, Marshall TA, Milgrom P, Coldwell SE. The contribution of dietary factors to dental caries and disparities in caries. Academic Pediatrics 2009; 9(6): 410–414.
 
21.
Watt RG. Strategies and approaches in oral disease prevention and health promotion. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2005; 83(9): 711–718.
 
22.
Rehman MM, Mahmood N, Rehman B. The relationship of caries with oral hygiene status and extra-oral risk factors. J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad 2008; 20(1): 103–108.
 
23.
Arora A, Scott JA, Bhole S, Do L, Schwarz E, Blinkhorn AS. Early childhood feeding practices and dental caries in preschool children:a multi-centre birth cohort study. BMC Public Health 2011; 11: 28.
 
24.
Moynihan PJ. The role of diet and nutrition in the etiology and prevention of oral diseases. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2005; 83(9): 694–699.
 
25.
Petersen PE. Sociobehavioural risk factors in dental caries – international perspectives. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2005; 33: 274–279.
 
26.
Guidelines on the use of fluoride in children: an EAPD policy document. European Archives of Paediatric Dentistry 2009; 10(3): 129–135.
 
27.
Trykowski J. Optymalna fluorowa profilaktyka próchnicy zębów w Polsce. Czas Stomat 2005, LVIII(6): 436–449.
 
28.
Petersen PE, Estupinan-Day S, Ndiaye C. WHO’s action for continuous improvement in oral health. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2005; 83(9): 642–643.
 
29.
Seale NS, McWhorter AG, Mouradian WE. Dental education’s role in improving children’s oral health and access to care. Academic Pediatrics 2009; 9(6): 440–445.
 
30.
Kwan SYL, Petersen PE, Pine CM, Borutta A. Health-promoting schools: an opportunity for oral health promotion. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2005; 83(9): 677–684.
 
31.
Stokes E, Pine CM, Harris RV. The promotion of oral health within the. Healthy Schools context in England: a qualitative research study. BMCOral Health 2009; 9: 3.
 
32.
Yazdani R, Vehkalahti MM, Nouri M, Murtomaa H. School-based education to improve oral cleanliness and gingival health in adolescents in Tehran, Iran. International Journal of Pediatric Dentistry 2009; 19: 274–281.
 
33.
Strużycka I, Adamowicz-Klepalska B. Pilne zadania polityki państwa w zakresie zdrowia jamy ustnej w świetle zaleceń Światowej Organizacji Zdrowia. Czas Stomat 2005; LVIII(6): 450–460.
 
34.
Peterson-Sweeney K, Stevens J. Optimizing the health of infants and children: their oral health counts! Journal of Pediatric Nursing 2010; 25: 244–249.
 
35.
Cunha-Cruz J. Teacher-supervised toothbrushing with fluoride has little effect on dental caries prevention. J Evid Base Dent Pract 2005; 5: 202–204.
 
eISSN:2084-4905
ISSN:2083-4543
Journals System - logo
Scroll to top