The impact of a prospective 4-year longitudinal school intervention for improving oral health and oral health inequalities in primary schoolchildren in Flanders-Belgium

Abstract

Background: Oral diseases and socio-economic inequalities in children are a persisting problem.

Aim: To investigate the 4-year longitudinal impact of an oral health promotion programme on oral health, knowledge, and socio-economic inequalities in primary schoolchildren.

Design: The intervention was carried out between 2010 and 2014 within a random sample of Flemish primary schoolchildren (born in 2002). It consisted of an annual oral health education session. ICDAS/DMFT, care level, knowledge scores, and plaque index were used as outcome variables. Being entitled to a corrective policy measure was used as social indicator. Mixed model analyses were conducted to evaluate changes over time between intervention and control group and between higher and lower social subgroups.

Results: A total of 1058 participants (23.8%) attended all four sessions. The intervention had a stabilizing effect on the number of decayed teeth and increased knowledge scores. No statistically different effect on the two social groups could be demonstrated. Socio-economic inequalities were present both at T₀ and T₄ .

Conclusion: The oral health promotion programme had a positive impact on oral health knowledge and stabilized the number of decayed teeth. No impact on inequalities could be demonstrated, although a higher dropout rate in children with a lower social status was seen.

Keywords: community paediatric dentistry; dental education; prevention.