Community-based Interventions to Prevent Dental Caries among Kindergarten Children in Vietnam: A 12-month Study of Field Trial

Abstract

To investigate the status of dental caries and assess the effectiveness of dental caries prevention interventions in children from 3 to 5-year-old in Hue City, Vietnam. The subjects were 464 children and their direct caregivers at some kindergartens in Hue City from June 2020 to October 2021. The study included two consecutive phases: the first one was a cross-sectional study to identify the rate of dental caries and related factors in the studied kindergartens, and phase 2 was a controlled comparative interventional study for a period of 12 months. The mean of decayed, missing, filled, and DMFT index was 8.25, 0.09, 0.48, and 8.82, respectively, with no statistically significant difference in these figures between the living areas. The multivariable logistic regression model revealed some factors related to dental caries, including age, frequency of toothbrushing per day, parent-assisted toothbrushing, and eating and drinking sweets. Results showed the effectiveness of a community-based intervention for preventing dental caries, gingivitis, and plaque in the intervention group, compared to the control group. The rate of dental caries among Vietnamese children was remarkably high. A comprehensive intervention to prevent early childhood dental caries was effective and might be considered a necessary program in healthcare prophylaxis. This intervention was consistent with the guidelines of WHO and based on evidences of related factors of dental caries identified in a previous cross-sectional study.