Effect of various dental treatment strategies on the oral health

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of four different dental treatment strategies on the oral health of children. Methods: The study population consisted of 380 healthy schoolchildren (mean age 6.09 yrs ±0.48) from the inlands of Surinam, with no former dental experience, randomly divided into four different treatment groups: varying from total rehabilitation, extractions only, restorations only or no treatment at all. Dental treatments were performed by four Dutch dentists; restorations were made according to the atraumatic restorative treatment method (ART). Caries prevalence (dmfs and DMFS according to WHO standards), oral hygiene and dental arch length and width were measured at baseline, after 6 months, 1 year, 2 years and 3 years. Results: Mean total dmfs (primary and permanent together) at t=0 was 11.70 (±10.59). ANOVA for repeated measures with treatment as a between-subjects factor showed that there was a statistically significant change in the number of decayed surfaces (ds) in time (p<0.001). In all groups, the number of ds at baseline was higher compared to the other time points. Between T0 and T1 a significant decrease in ds was observed and Posthoc-test showed that this effect accounts only for the total rehabilitation and the extraction group (p<0.001). This trend stabilizes over the next period of time (T2,3 and4). The preliminary results of a possible effect of the different treatments on the oral hygiene of the children will be discussed in the presentation, as well as the effect of multiple extractions on the dental arch measurements. Conclusions: Dental treatment has a positive effect on the oral health of children, considering the caries incidence. Total rehabilitation or performing extractions only are significantly more effective than performing no treatment or ART restorations alone.

This study was supported by IOT, WOTRO and 3M-ESPE.