INTRODUCTION The aims of this study were to assess the prevalence of dental caries and the DMFT index, as well as the distribution pattern of pit and fissure sealants on permanent teeth in a Portuguese sample of adolescents, and to assess whether the existing usage of sealants and socio-demographic factors are correlated to caries prevalence on the examined sample. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cro...

Introduction: The aims of this study were to assess the prevalence of dental caries and the DMFT index, as well as the distribution pattern of pit and fissure sealants on permanent teeth in a Portuguese sample of adolescents, and to assess whether the existing usage of sealants and socio-demographic factors are correlated to caries prevalence on the examined sample. Materials and Methods: A cro...

PURPOSE Sealants form a physical barrier between the oral environment and deep fissures that contribute to caries prevention. It is postulated that sealants possessing antibacterial properties are advantageous. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial properties of four pit and fissure sealants using direct contact test (DCT) and agar diffusion test (ADT). METHODS For the D...

The School Oral Health Program (SOHP), Kuwait, is a joint venture between the Ministry of Health, Kuwait, and Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, Mass., USA. This program provides oral health education, prevention and treatment to almost 280,000 public school children in Kuwait. Services are delivered through a system of center- and school-based clinics and preventive mobile teams. One of the recent ...

PURPOSE The aim of the present study was to assess the microleakage of pit and fissure sealants in: 1) air-abraded molars with and without etching and 2) in preventive resin restorations (PRR) prepared with air abrasion or mechanically with a bur. METHODS Forty molars with no or minimal occlusal caries were cleaned with pumice, washed, and assigned to four groups of 10 teeth each. In group A,...

BACKGROUND The use of sealants as an effective measure for the prevention of pit and fissure caries in children has been well documented by several studies; either they are used on an individual or on a public health basis. In order to plan and establish a national preventive program with sealants in a community, it is mandatory to know the epidemiological pattern of caries along with other var...

Teachers at elementary schools in two areas (urban and rural) of Michigan were surveyed to determine their sources of information about oral health and their knowledge and attitudes about dental diseases and disease prevention. Questionnaires were completed by 404 teachers (62% response rate). More than 80 percent of respondents from both areas were female. Demographic characteristics that were...

The objectives were to demonstrate that a combination of preventive regimens could significantly reduce dental disease in a school population, to demonstrate the feasibility of a school-based program in relation to sustained benefits. There were 1286 students in 1st and 6th grades enrolled in the study. Subjects were stratified by grade, sex, and race and randomly placed in a treatment or educa...