Managing dental caries with atraumatic restorative treatment in children: successful experience in three Latin American countries.

OBJECTIVE: To compare survival rates and cost differentials between the atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) technique and amalgams by type of dental personnel in Ecuador, Panama, and Uruguay. METHODS: Children 7 to 9 years of age in rural and urban schools with at least one lesion with initial cavitated enamel caries or a dentinal lesion on a first permanent molar were selected and randomized into the ART (intervention) or amalgam (control) group. Restoration failure was evaluated at 12 and 24 months. Cooperation and pain experienced during the procedures were measured. Cumulative and incident failure of restorations at 12 and 24 months was calculated for dentists who placed ART or amalgam restorations and auxiliaries who placed ART restorations at 12 months only. RESULTS: The total sample comprised 1 629 children. Study groups were similar by country, gender, and geographic location. Cumulative failure rate at 12 months varied by group: dentists' amalgam, 0.9% to 5.7%; dentists' ART, 2.0% to 10.5%; and auxiliaries' ART, 5.7% to 15.8%. At 24 months, higher cumulative failures were observed for the dentists' amalgam group compared with the dentists' ART group in Ecuador and Panama but not in Uruguay. Amalgam was least likely to have the best level of cooperation and an auxiliary using ART was associated with the least pain. The cost of using the ART approach for dental caries treatment, including retreatment, was roughly half that of using amalgam without retreatment. CONCLUSIONS: Having auxiliary personnel perform ART will lead to treatment survival that is expected to be lower than dentists using amalgam or ART. In spite of the greater risk of failure, the rate is not unacceptable and potential cost savings are substantial.

Managing dental caries with atraumatic restorative treatment in children: successful experience in three Latin American countries / Control de la caries dental mediante tratamiento restaurador atraumático en niños: experiencia exitosa en tres países de América Latina

OBJECTIVE: To compare survival rates and cost differentials between the atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) technique and amalgams by type of dental personnel in Ecuador, Panama, and Uruguay. METHODS: Children 7 to 9 years of age in rural and urban schools with at least one lesion with initial cavitated enamel caries or a dentinal lesion on a first permanent molar were selected and randomized into the ART (intervention) or amalgam (control) group. Restoration failure was evaluated at 12 and 24 months. Cooperation and pain experienced during the procedures were measured. Cumulative and incident failure of restorations at 12 and 24 months was calculated for dentists who placed ART or amalgam restorations and auxiliaries who placed ART restorations at 12 months only. RESULTS: The total sample comprised 1 629 children. Study groups were similar by country, gender, and geographic location. Cumulative failure rate at 12 months varied by group: dentists' amalgam, 0.9% to 5.7%; dentists' ART, 2.0% to 10.5%; and auxiliaries' ART, 5.7% to 15.8%. At 24 months, higher cumulative failures were observed for the dentists' amalgam group compared with the dentists' ART group in Ecuador and Panama but not in Uruguay. Amalgam was least likely to have the best level of cooperation and an auxiliary using ART was associated with the least pain. The cost of using the ART approach for dental caries treatment, including retreatment, was roughly half that of using amalgam without retreatment. CONCLUSIONS: Having auxiliary personnel perform ART will lead to treatment survival that is expected to be lower than dentists using amalgam or ART. In spite of the greater risk of failure, the rate is not unacceptable and potential cost savings are substantial.

OBJETIVO: Comparar las tasas de supervivencia de las restauraciones y las diferencias en cuanto a costo según el tipo de profesional odontológico, entre la técnica de tratamiento restaurador atraumático (TRA) y las amalgamas en Ecuador, Panamá y Uruguay. MÉTODOS: Se seleccionaron niños de 7 a 9 años de edad, de escuelas rurales y urbanas, que presentaban como mínimo una lesión inicial cavitada de caries del esmalte o una lesión de la dentina en un primer molar permanente, y se distribuyeron aleatoriamente en el grupo sometido a TRA (intervención) o en el grupo tratado con amalgamas (control). Se evaluó el fracaso de la restauración a los 12 y 24 meses. Se midió el grado de cooperación y el dolor observados durante los procedimientos. Se calculó el fracaso acumulado e incidental de las restauraciones a los 12 y 24 meses para los dentistas que aplicaron restauraciones de tipo TRA o amalgamas, y únicamente a los 12 meses para el personal auxiliar que llevó a cabo restauraciones de tipo TRA. RESULTADOS: La muestra total incluyó a 1 629 niños. Los grupos de estudio fueron similares en cuanto a país, sexo y ubicación geográfica. La tasa de fracaso acumulado a los 12 meses varió según el grupo: fue de 0,9 a 5,7% para la amalgama aplicada por dentistas; de 2,0 a 10,5% para el TRA aplicado por dentistas; y de 5,7 a 15,8% para el TRA aplicado por personal auxiliar. A los 24 meses, se observaron mayores fracasos acumulados en el grupo de amalgamas aplicadas por dentistas en comparación con el grupo de TRA aplicado por dentistas en Ecuador y Panamá pero no en Uruguay. Fue menos probable que la aplicación de amalgama obtuviera el mejor grado de cooperación, y la aplicación de TRA por personal auxiliar se asoció con la menor intensidad de dolor. El costo de usar el método de TRA en el tratamiento de la caries dental, incluido el retratamiento, fue aproximadamente de la mitad del costo del empleo de amalgama sin retratamiento. CONCLUSIONES: La restauración mediante TRA llevado a cabo por personal auxiliar logrará una supervivencia presumiblemente inferior a la obtenida por la aplicación de amalgama o TRA por dentistas. A pesar del mayor riesgo de fracaso, la tasa es admisible y la potencial reducción de costos es importante.

Unfulfilled potential: using diethylcarbamazine-fortified salt to eliminate lymphatic filariasis.

Fortifying salt with diethylcarbamazine (DEC) is a safe, low-cost and effective strategy to eliminate transmission of lymphatic filariasis. DEC-fortified salt has been used successfully in pilot projects in several countries and has been used operationally by China to eliminate lymphatic filariasis. The successful use of iodized salt to eliminate iodine-deficiency disorders is encouraging; similarly, fortified salt could be used as a vehicle to eliminate lymphatic filariasis. Despite the potential programmatic advantages of fortifying salt with DEC instead of undertaking mass administration of tablets, DEC-fortified salt remains an underutilized intervention. We discuss the reasons for this and suggest settings in which the use of DEC-fortified salt should be considered.