Incidence of caries in an infant population in Mostoles, Madrid. Evaluation of a preventive program after 7.5 years of follow-up.

Summary. Objective. To assess the efficacy and effectiveness of a dental-health programme after 7·5-years of follow-up. Design. The study follows a prospective cohort design without randomization. Population and methods. The study group cohort consisted of 547 school children, 266 girls and 281 boys, the control group was composed of 237 school children, 121 girls and 116 boys. Dental examinations were carried out using WHO criteria. Preventive measures included health education, a weekly mouth rinse using sodium fluoride (NaFl) at 0·2% concentration, fissure sealants to first permanent molars and topical application of fluoride gel. The outcomes using different indices of tooth decay and socio–demographic variables were compared between study and control groups and statistical significance determined through the Mann–Whitney U-test. Logistic regression was used in the multivariate analysis. Results. There were statistically significant differences between cohorts in the indices of decay. The mean DMFT value for study group children was 1·52 and for first permanent molars (DMFM) 1·10 per child, mean DMFS was 2·09. In the control group, values were DMFT-3·07, DMFM-2·03 per child, DMFS-4·33. Logistic regression showed the preventive programme to have a significant independent effect. Conclusion. The preventive programme had been effective and had a clear protective effect.