Community Dental Health

cover art

Cover Date:
March 2007
Print ISSN:
0265 539X
Vol:
24
Issue:
1

Community effectiveness of fissure sealants and the effect of fluoridated water consumption

Objectives: This study investigated the effectiveness of fissure sealants in a community-based programme and the relationship between fissure sealants effectiveness and exposure to fluoridated water. Design: Prospective cohort study of children attending the School Dental Service (SDS) of two Australian states, Queensland and South Australia, across a period of between 6 months and 3.5 years (mean=2 years). Methods: Oral health data on 4–15-year-olds were obtained as part of regular examinations by the SDS while questionnaire data on residential and water consumption history were provided by children’s parents or guardians. Participants: A sub-group of 789 children (mean age=10.5 years) was selected with one contralateral pair of permanent first molars at baseline where the occlusal surface of one molar had been fissure sealed while the paired surface was diagnosed as sound. Results: The caries incidence of the fissure sealed occlusal surfaces was 5.6% compared to 11.1% for sound surfaces (p<0.001), demonstrating a 50% reduction in caries incidence for sealed vs non-sealed surfaces. The reduction in caries increment attributable to fissure sealing increased across fluoridated water exposure categories - a 36.4% reduction was found for children with 0% exposure (p>0.05), a 55.0% reduction for children with intermediate exposure (p<0.01), and an 82.4% reduction for children with 100% lifetime exposure to fluoridated water (p<0.001). Differences between odds ratios for fissure sealants across exposure categories were not statistically significant. Conclusions: The effectiveness of fissure sealants in community-based programmes may be further improved when coupled with increased lifetime exposure to optimally fluoridated water.

Key words: Caries; children, fissure sealants; water fluoridation

Article Price
£15.00
Institution Article Price
£
Page Start
4
Page End
11
Authors
J. M. Armfield, A. J. Spencer

Articles from this issue

  • Title
  • Pg. Start
  • Pg. End

  1. Editorial - Expanding dental undergraduate clinical outreach programmes into general dental practice.
  2. 2
  3. 3

  1. Community effectiveness of fissure sealants and the effect of fluoridated water consumption
  2. 4
  3. 11

  1. Financial systems’ impact on dental care; a review of fee-forservice and capitation systems
  2. 12
  3. 20

  1. Agreement amongst examiners assessing dental fluorosis from digital photographs using the TF index.
  2. 21
  3. 25

  1. Frequency and distribution patterns of sealants among 15-year-olds in Denmark in 2003
  2. 26
  3. 30

  1. Enamel defects and its relation to life course events in primary dentition of Brazilian children: A longitudinal study
  2. 31
  3. 36

  1. Oral health care and status of elderly care home residents in Glasgow.
  2. 37
  3. 42

  1. Knowledge of and attitudes toward severe acute respiratory syndrome among a cohort of dental patients in Hong Kong following a major local outbreak
  2. 43
  3. 48

  1. Conversion tables for the Corah and Modified Dental Anxiety Scales
  2. 49
  3. 54

  1. An audit of paediatric dental treatments carried out under general anaesthesia in a sample of Spanish patients
  2. 55
  3. 58

  1. BASCD Survey report
  2. 59
  3. 63