A pilot of a school-based dental treatment programme for vulnerable children with possible dental neglect: the Back2School programme

Abstract

The use of a community-based mobile dental unit has the potential to be a cost-effective method to remove barriers to dental care access, both for the treatment of vulnerable children and as a first point of contact in the dental care pathway.

A school-based oral health intervention in East London: the Happy Teeth fluoride varnish programme

“…26 School FV programmes are more effective in highrisk populations, 27 such as East London, and this programme additionally targeted children identified with caries for a further intervention, which is reported elsewhere. 25 Using dentists to carry out a screening before prescribing FV ensured that dental caries was diagnosed and recorded as early as possible. Children with an urgent dental treatment need were followed up at the second varnish application by EDDNs and hygienists, who were given appropriate training to recognise and highlight to parents/carers a continuing treatment need.…”

“…Children were identified for follow-up who still had a dental treatment need as diagnosed at the initial screening, and this part of the programme is reported elsewhere. 25 The programme was repeated for the target age group (age three to six years) in the same schools in 2010/11 (Year 2), and in 2011/12 (Year 3). Additionally, in Year 3 a further 17 schools were included in the programme -4 in CH and 13 in TH -for the same target age group.…”

Why are vulnerable children not brought to their dental appointments?

“…1 Unnecessary demands should not be placed on the family to attend multiple appointments where it is avoidable nor to travel long distances for dental care when it could be provided locally, either in fixed clinics or from a mobile dental unit. 2 If dental anxiety is thought to be the underlying reason for failure to complete treatment, then an appropriate choice of anxiety management techniques is available 1 and inhalation sedation is often used. However, within the service, approximately Why are vulnerable children not brought to their dental appointments?…”

Long-Term Effects of School-Based Oral Health Program on Oral Health Knowledge and Practices and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life

“…Measures of the OH-related quality of life (OHRQoL) provide essential information when assessing treatment needs, making clinical decisions and evaluating interventions, services and programs [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]. School-based OH programs were established to overcome the barriers that children and families faced in accessing dental services and to remove inequalities in OH between children in different communities [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. The main aim of community- and school-based OH programs is to improve the OHRQoL of children through OH education, prevention and treatment strategies [ 3 , 8 , 11 ].…”

“…School-based OH programs were established to overcome the barriers that children and families faced in accessing dental services and to remove inequalities in OH between children in different communities [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. The main aim of community- and school-based OH programs is to improve the OHRQoL of children through OH education, prevention and treatment strategies [ 3 , 8 , 11 ]. Yet, the effect of these programs on OH knowledge and practices and OHRQoL after the children leave the schools has not been investigated.…”