A development of dental caries prevention program in kindergarten in Phayao Province
Keywords:
prevention program, dental caries, young children, kindergartenAbstract
Background: Dental caries in primary teeth is a significant global issue. Preschool children have a high prevalence of dental caries, as seen in data from Phayao Province.
Objective: To develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a dental caries prevention program in child care centers in Phayao Province.
Methods: This was a research and development (R&D) study conducted over a 6-month period during 25 January – 10 June 2024 in 12 child care centers, Phayao province. The participants were children aged 2-5 years. The experimental group, consisting of 125 children, received preventive dental care, including fluoride varnish and probiotic milk tablets, toothbrushing skill training, oral health promotion, and capacity building for oral health care by parents and caregivers. The control group, also consisting of 125 children, received standard care. All participants were evaluated for toothbrushing behavior, plaque index, and dental caries status. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, chi-square, and t-tests.
Results: After 6 months, a total of 221 children remained in the study, with an average age of 3.02 ± 0.60 years. Of these, 115 were boys (52.00%). The experimental group consisted of 109 children (49.32%), while the control group had 112 children (50.68%). The evaluation results showed that, compared to the control group, the experimental group had lower mean number of dental caries (2.55 ± 3.77 vs. 3.50 ± 4.16 teeth per person, p = 0.073), a lower mean plaque index (0.68 ± 0.26 vs. 0.98 ± 0.36, p < 0.001), and a higher mean of toothbrushing (2.11 ± 0.63 vs. 1.78 ± 0.65 times per day, p < 0.001). The experimental group also had a lower average snack consumption (1.41 ± 1.80 vs. 1.89 ± 1.69 times per week, p = 0.041) and parents showed a higher level of knowledge (8.74 ± 1.12 vs. 7.44 ± 1.60 points, p < 0.001).
Conclusion: The dental caries prevention program in child care centers effectively reduced new caries in the experimental group compared to the control group. It also resulted in a lower plaque index and increased frequency of toothbrushing.
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