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

Oral diseases and socio-economic inequalities in children are a persisting problem. To investigate the 4-year longitudinal impact of an oral health promotion programme on oral health, knowledge, and socio-economic inequalities in primary schoolchildren. 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. 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 . 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.