Background: Dental caries (tooth decay) is the world's most prevalent noncommunicable disease and can lead to pain, infection, and edentulism. Many children with caries lack access to traditional dental services. School-based caries prevention can increase access to care and reduce health inequities. Disruptions in school-based care due to…

Background: In this paper, we describe the design, program details, and baseline demographics and oral health of participants in ForsythKids, a regional, comprehensive, school-based mobile caries prevention program. Methods: We solicited all Massachusetts elementary schools with greater than 50% of students receiving free or reduced-price meals.…

Background: This study aimed to investigate the associations of oral health literacy (OHL), sense of coherence (SOC) and other covariates with self-reported school performance (SRSP) in adolescents enrolled in public schools in Brazil. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted with adolescents aged from 14 to 18 years enrolled in 6…

Background: Although access to dental care has improved over time, many children still face difficulty in obtaining services. One strategy to increase access is through mobile dental services, often in collaboration with schools, Head Start programs, and school-based health centers. This study evaluates a large mobile dental care program based in…

Eight and nine-year old students in an open classroom engaged in many activities designed to increase their care of their teeth. The teeth of these students and those of a control group were examined and rated on the Podshadley Hygiene Performance Index both before and after the activities. A significant difference existed between pre- and…

Dental health is replete with perpetuated misinformation in the classroom. A true/false test and its answers are presented to expose some of the most common dental myths. (JN)

The results of this study indicate that with instruction and daily supervised brushing practice a difference may be obtained in students' oral hygiene status. (RC)

A dental health program in an elementary school succeeded in identifying children considered to be "high risk" in oral health and, through treatment and education, significantly improved their dental health. (JD)

In a speech presented at the Annual Session of the American School Health Association, Houston 1970, the author concludes that organizing dental health programs with regard to contents as well as activities will help make the demands for good dental health and the change in behavior that is needed seem reasonable. (Author/BY)

A survey of the children of Mexican American migrant farm workers was conducted to identify the level of dental problems and to determine the most effective and feasible intervention mechanisms for treatment and prevention. An important factor in planning dental programs is the infrequent availability of these migrant children. (JN)

The effectiveness of a daily toothbrushing program in kindergarten is discussed in terms of improved scores on two oral health indices and the development of positive health habits. (JMF)

The purpose of this research project was to determine the effectiveness of a school-based dental health education program which included a parental support component. It was hypothesized that changes in dental health attitudes would be positively affected by the outreach effort to educate parents on the importance of dental health. (JN)

A school-based dental health screening and referral program in the state of New York is described. The program provides examinations to children and referrals for those in need of treatment. By encouraging the dental health program, school officials serve as positive role models. Since screenings are conducted at a local level, community interest…

A study evaluated the impact of five years' exposure to a dental health curriculum on the oral hygiene of fifth-grade students. Findings of the study indicate that a well-designed dental health curriculum based on cognitive and behavioral objectives can result in a greater accumulation of dental health knowledge. (JN)