Abstract
Objective: To describe the dental practice patterns related to caries prevention in children aged 6-18 years and associated factors . Material and Methods: Dentists (n=162) from Araraquara, Brazil, completed two paper questionnaires: (1) one about characteristics of their practice and their patient population; and (2) a translated version of the “Assessment of Caries Diagnosis and Caries Treatment” Questionnaire from the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network. Regression analyses were used for data analysis (p<0.05). Results: Dentists reported using in-office fluoride (IOF) and dental sealants (DS) in 74.2% and 45.1% of their pediatric patients, respectively. Regression analysis showed that female dentists (p=0.035 for DS; p=0.044 for IOF; p=0.011 for non-prescription fluoride rinse), those with advanced degrees (p=0.032 for prescription of fluoride), those who graduated from a private dental school (p=0.018 for chlorhexidine rinse), those who provided caries prevention regimens (p<0.001 for DS; p=0.004 for IOF; p=0.013 for non-prescription fluoride rinse), those with a greater percentage of patients interested in a caries prevention regimen (p=0.007 for non-prescription fluoride rinse), those working in a private practice model (p=0.047 for prescription of fluoride) were more likely to recommend some type of preventive methods to their pediatric patients . Conclusion: Dentists reported recommending IOF to most of their pediatric patients. Certain dentists’, practices’, and patients’ characteristics were associated to some caries prevention regimens recommended by dentists.
Highlights
Preventive methods for caries control have benefited millions of people worldwide [1]
Regression analysis showed that female dentists (p=0.035 for dental sealants (DS); p=0.044 for in-office fluoride (IOF); p=0.011 for non-prescription fluoride rinse), those with advanced degrees (p=0.032 for prescription of fluoride), those who graduated from a private dental school (p=0.018 for chlorhexidine rinse), those who provided caries prevention regimens (p
From a list of 801 dentists, 164 did not receive the questionnaires due to outdated addresses, 277 were not found by phone and we could not confirm if the questionnaires were received, 30 refused to participate, 113 were deemed not eligible after the potential respondent communicated with the research team about eligibility status, 217 were considered participants for the major study and data from 162 dentists were analyzed in the present study (Figure 1)
Summary
Preventive methods for caries control have benefited millions of people worldwide [1]. Caries reduction has been achieved because of the rational use of fluoride, mainly with the daily use of fluoride toothpaste [2]. The available evidence suggests that the prevalence and severity of cavitated dentine lesions have declined among 5- and 12-year-olds. Groups of low socio-economic status, which may be associated with a specific ethnicity, still have high caries levels [3]. Other variables, such as parental oral health literacy [4] and mother’s schooling [5], have been associated with higher caries prevalence
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