Community-based interventions to reduce dental caries among 24-months children

To study the effectiveness of community-based oral health promotion programs toreduce dental caries among 24-months children. A field trial study was conducted on 436 children from 6 months to 24 months old in ComprehensiveHealth Centers in Pishva and Pakdasht, Tehran Province, Iran.Participantswere allocated into intervention (n=239) and control groups (n=215) according their place of residence. The number decayed (d) teeth were collected by oral health examination at 6, 12, 18, and 24 monthsold. Demographic, socioeconomic and dental care behavior data were collected using a questionnaire at6 month, 12, 18, and 24 months. The intervention group received four types of interventions (social network, group discussion, and face to face education, and comprehensive). Zero-inflated negative binomial regression analysis was used to study the effect of the interventions on number of decayed teeth in the 24 months follow up, controlling for interventions and other explanatory variables. Among the examined 436 children, with a mean age of 23.7 months (range: 22-25 months), 48.2% (n=210) were male.Nearly half of the mothers in intervention (54.7%) and control (58%) field were educated less than 12 years. Frequency of using finger toothbrush increased from 53.4% (at first follow-up) to 89.8% (at last follow-up) in intervention field. From 236 children in intervention field, 186(78.8%) were caries free at 24 months old.Children in comprehensive intervention group showed lower dental caries compared to control group [IRR=0.09 (95%CI 0.01; 0.58)]. Also, in the adjusted model, children using powder milk hadfour times more dental caries compared to breastfed after controlling for the type of interventions and other covariates[IRR=3.89 (95%CI 2.07;7.31)]. Ourbehavioral and nutritional interventions not only improved oral health behaviors such as using finger brush, and nutrition, but also led to decreased decayed teeth in the intervention group.