ABSTRACT
Aim: Prevention-focused school dental health program (SDHP) is a cost-effective intervention that countries can use to lessen the problem of dental diseases by educating on oral health. The current study aims to assess the effectiveness of parental participation in an SDHP held at periodic intervals on the oral health status (OHS) of children aged 8-10 years attending a local school in Southern India. Materials and methods: The longitudinal study was scheduled between September 2018 and June 2019 (36 weeks) in 120 participants who were healthy school children aged 8-10 years at a private school in Kelambakkam. This 36-week duration study assessed the effectiveness of school dental health education program with and without parents at every 12 weeks interval. The OHS of subjects was assessed using the standard indices [i.e., Decayed, Missing and Filled permanent teeth (DMFT), decayed, extracted, and filled primary teeth (deft), and Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S)]. Friedman's test and Mann-Whitney U test were used for analyzing the data as indicated. Results: In postintervention visits, children with parental participation had significantly lower caries increments than children without parental participation. While the oral hygiene index scores have improved significantly in both groups over time, the improvement in the parental participation group was greater. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the SDHP is an educational driver that showed a constructive impression on the oral health of children. The participation of the child's parents in SDHP has significantly improved the OHS of children. How to cite this article: Sowmiya Sree RA, Joe Louis C, Senthil Eagappan AR, et al. Effectiveness of Parental Participation in a Dental Health Program on the Oral Health Status of 8-10-year-old School Children. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2022;15(4):417-421.
ABSTRACT
AIM: The objective of the study was to evaluate the occlusal characteristics of primary dentition in 3-5-year-old children in Kancheepuram district. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was carried out on children aged 3-5 year old in the Kancheepuram district. A total of 603 children were examined. Occlusal relationship was assessed separately on both right and left side and was classified as a flush terminal plane, mesial step, or distal step. Similarly, occlusal relationship of primary canine was examined and classified as Class I, II, or III. Primate space was measured in both the arches using digital Vernier caliper. RESULTS: Pearson Chi-square test was used. Statistical significance was noted on both right and left side primary molar occlusion as well as in the canine occlusion across the three age groups. Primate spaces in both arches have been found to be significant across the three age groups. Mann-Whitney test between gender and occlusal relationship was found to be not significant. CONCLUSION: Flush terminal plane is the most common primary molar occlusion found in the present study which is statistically significant. Most of the children had primate space present in upper and lower teeth which is statistically significant.
ABSTRACT
AIM: This study was done to evaluate association of caries in deciduous second molar and adjacent permanent first molar, tooth surface more involved in permanent first molar and to assess the parental awareness regarding the eruption of permanent first molar. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Three hundred and ten children (160 boys, 150 girls) of mixed dentition aged between 6 and 11 years were included. Presence or absence of paired association of caries in primary second molar and adjacent permanent first molar, of both the jaws, were noted. Parental awareness regarding the child's dentition was asked by pointing the maxillary and mandibular permanent first molar. RESULTS: Pearson Chi-square test was used. Significance was noted in both sexes between paired nonassociation of caries in mandibular primary second molar and mandibular permanent molar (P =0.01) and paired nonassociation of caries in primary maxillary second molar and maxillary permanent first molar in girls only (P =0.04). Parental awareness that permanent first molar has erupted was 24.83% and not to be exfoliated and replaced was 22.9% for both the sexes. In permanent teeth of both the sexes, the occlusal surface was more involved with caries in maxillary teeth; the buccal surface was more involved in mandibular teeth. About 10% of the sample did not have caries in both maxillary and mandibular permanent first molar. CONCLUSIONS: Paired association of caries of primary second molar and permanent first molar though found in large number of cases was not significant. It is clear that parental awareness is less regarding the child's oral health. Thus, community-based awareness program has to be conducted to emphasize on pediatric oral health status and care.