Childhood caries management in the European Union: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Dental caries is one of the most widespread childhood diseases worldwide, although it is largely preventable. In Europe, there is an observable difference between caries prevalence in Eastern and Western European states. This study aimed to gather data on the characteristics of publicly financed dental preventive services for children in European Union (EU) member states. Methods: Data on important indicators were collected through an online survey. National and international professional bodies specializing in pediatric dentistry and dental services were invited to participate in the study. Descriptive statistics and information gain were applied in the analysis to identify the strongest indicators of the availability and content of childhood caries services. Additionally, the reimbursement characteristics were examined. Results: We received responses from 27 EU member states. The accessibility and assessment of dental preventive services among the member states vary notably. The frequency of screenings and the screened age groups differ by country and free screenings for preschool children are not common. Monitoring systems were present in only 37% of the responding countries, but brief dental interventions are available to promote caries prevention in 25 of the 27 countries. However, these interventions are mainly focused on basic oral health education. Regarding the reimbursement characteristics, we found that the amount of reimbursement is larger for higher-cost treatments targeting already developed caries than for cost-effective preventive treatments, which are less likely publicly financed. Conclusions: The prevention of dental caries is part of oral health promotion and education efforts in the EU; unlike the treatment of already developed dental caries, the accessibility of clinical prevention services is limited and usually not free for children. Further comprehensive studies are necessary to identify key indicators for international assessment and facilitate the standardization of the screening process, thus promoting the collection of comparable data.

Variation in Current Guidelines for Fluoride Varnish Application for Young Children in Medical Settings in the United States

“…Although replicating the current study for other countries across the globe was beyond the scope of the study and would be complicated by differing health care finance structures and regulatory environments, a brief exploration of guidelines for FV internationally suggest variation may be present there as well. A survey study by Bencze et al found that the accessibility of clinical health prevention services such as FV application is limited and not free for children and varies across countries (39). A guideline on use of fluoride for prevention of ECC published by the European Archives of Pediatric Dentistry gives FV a "moderate" recommendation and recommends it primarily for children with higher risk for ECC (40) while Australian guidelines recommend FV for all children under 10 years of age (41).…”

Analysis of the Relationship of Behavioral Habits and Periodontal Status and Oral Health in Children of Primary School Age With Diabetes Mellitus Type I and Parents Results Using Dental Questionnaire

“…Первинна профілактика хвороб пародонта та стоматологічних захворювань в цілому поки базується на програмах мінімізації факторів ризику. Виявлені в аналітичній епідеміології на основі використання анкетопитувальників індикатори ризику досить чітко можуть вказати, які дії повинні бути прийняті для підвищення ефективності профілактичних заходів [1,3,5].…”

“…Учасники дослідження та їх опікуни (батьки) відповіли на питання «Опитувальника стоматологічного для дітей і батьків» (свідоцтво про реєстрацію авторського права на твір, дата реєстрації 24.01.2020). Його було створено з урахуванням сучасних документів різних стоматологічних організацій, що регламентують оцінку здоров'я порожнини рота у дітей [1,5,8,9]. В осно-ву нашої анкети було покладено основні індикатори стоматологічного здоров'я дітей та підлітків проекту EGOHID ІІ (2008) та стоматологічний опитувальник ВООЗ (2013) [12,13].…”

Educação Em Saúde Bucal Como Estratégia De Prevenção À Cárie Dentária Na Infância

“…Tem etiologia multifatorial e consiste em uma associação entre uma dieta açucarada combinada ao acúmulo de biofilme, que favorece a atuação do metabolismo das bactérias bucais, que liberam ácidos, provocando a desmineralização. O processo se reverte quando diante da redução da exposição ao açúcar e prática adequada de higiene bucal (TSANG et al, 2019;BENCZE et al, 2021;SAMUEL;ACHARYA;RAO, 2020).…”