PAEDIATRICIAN AND DENTAL CARE

Key words: Prevention, Caries, Anticipatory guidance, Sealant, Fluoride, Oral hygiene

A programme for caries prevention was started 18 years ago, in Carnia (a region in north-eastern of Italy) and is still going on. The aim of the programme was to encourage parents to use preventive measures (fluoride tablets, toothbrushing, diet, sealant) for their children. During the intervention period, the percentage of “caries-free” children rose from 8 to 71% (age: six) and the DMFT fell from 4 to 2.1 (age: twelve). These results show the effectiveness of caries prevention guidelines, stress the pivotal role of the paediatrician and set the stage for future developments, such as screening of Streptococcus mutans in pregnant women.