Analysis of follow-up changes in incidence of oral diseases in Novosibirsk schoolchildren during the preventive treatment program

Relevance. The Russian Federation state program „Healthcare system development”, approved on April 15, 2014, relies on the introduction of the specialist „Dental Hygienist” in the system of school dentistry service as the main executor of the preventive treatment program. Government resolution #1640 as of 26.12.2017, which is to be realized during 2018-2025, included the agency project „“Primary prevention of oral diseases among the population of the Russian Federation”. The realization of the oral disease prevention project (professional cleaning, fluoride  local application, permanent molar fissure sealing) is a basic program that includes necessary steps to reduce oral disease incidence rate and caries increase in schoolchildren. Administration of oral care products (fluoride varnish, sealants) immediately after tooth eruption, i.e., during formation and mineralization of the hard dental tissues, is more relevant, than the use of these products after the mineralization is complete. Aim – to assess the effectiveness of oral disease preventive measures by the analysis of the follow-up changes in the dental status of schoolchildren.Materials and methods. 115 first-grade schoolchildren of two Novosibirsk general schools participated in the study. The schoolchildren were evenly divided into 2 groups: prevention and comparison. The parents and children of both groups were trained how to take care of the oral cavity at home. The children in both groups were examined, oral hygiene indices were determined and the teeth were treated. The preventive treatment in the first groups was administered with the following materials: fluoride varnish with innovative ingredient, tricalcium phosphate, and low fill fluoride-releasing light-cured sealant. The materials are certified and approved for use in children in the Russian Federation. The individual preventive treatment was not performed in the second group. The effectiveness of the preventive treatment was assessed by the analysis of follow-up changes in the dental status of the schoolchildren.Results. The school preventive treatment program demonstrated a significant reduction of caries increase rate – up to 31.79% in the prevention group, which forms the basis for performance optimization of the school dental office where the priority belongs to a dental hygienist.Conclusions. The results of the preventive treatment program with the participation of a pediatric dentist and a dental hygienist held in three Novosibirsk schools confirmed its high medical effectiveness.