New study supports the effectiveness of the ForsythKids school-based dental program for reducing untreated tooth decay
Forsyth InstituteResearch NewsIMAGE: Tooth decay is the most common chronic early childhood disease in the United States. More than half of children aged 6-8 years old have had a cavity, and kids from...viewmore Credit: Forsyth InstituteIn a longitudinal study published earlier this month in theJournal of the American Dental Association, researchers analyzed untreated decay in a cohort of nearly 7,000 children enrolled in the ForsythKids preventive dentistry program. Over the course of six years, the percentage of children with untreated cavities in the program decreased from 39 to 19 percent, suggesting that school-based prevention programs are effective in combating childhood dental disease.Tooth decay is the most common chronic early childhood disease in the United States. More than half of children aged 6-8 years old have had a cavity, and kids from low-income families are twice as likely to suffer from untreated tooth decay as their higher-income peers.To address this critical unmet need, the ForsythKids mobile dental program has provided preventive oral health care to children and teens at schools, community centers, and other sites across Massachusetts since 2003.Researchers from the Forsyth Institute analyzed data from students at 33 public elementary schools in Massachusetts, all of which are classified as Title I, with high numbers of children from low-income families. The ForsythKids dental team provided comprehensive preventative oral health care twice p...
Source: Dental Technology Blog - Category: Dentistry Source Type: news
More News: Blogging | Children | COVID-19 | Dentistry | Fluoride | Health Management | International Medicine & Public Health | Pandemics | Pediatrics | Students | Study | Tooth Decay | Universities & Medical Training | USA Health