Dental care received by children in the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network (ATN) was compared to National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) data for children without special healthcare needs and children with parent-reported ASD. Correlates of obtained preventive dental services were examined within the ATN sample. Participants included 375…

Background: School-based health centers (SBHCs) have been shown to offer substantial benefits to students but we know little about how the public thinks about them. We sought to assess US public attitudes about SBHCs and the provision of 7 health service lines--primary care, preventive care, vaccinations, preventive dental care, preventive vision…

Early preventive dental visits are vital to the oral health of children. Yet many children, especially preschool-age children enrolled in Medicaid, do not receive early visits. This study attempts to uncover factors that can be used to encourage parents to seek preventive dental care for preschool-age children enrolled in Medicaid. The extended…

In both developed and developing countries, population aging has attained unprecedented levels. Public health strategies to deliver services in community-based settings are key to enhancing the utilization of preventive care and reducing costs for this segment of the population. Motivated by concerns of inadequate access to oral health care by…

Dental caries, periodontal diseases, tooth loss and oral cancers have significant burden of disease effects, quality of life and cost implications for the Australian community. Oral health promotion is a key approach to addressing these conditions endorsed as part of the National Oral Health Plan. Understanding the evidence for effectiveness of…

Dental caries and periodontal disease in Mexican American children of the southwestern United States occur mainly in molars, lending strong support for the use of fissure sealants as a preventive procedure. This study also reports on the prevalence of fillings decay and gingivitis in this population. (VM)

The graphs in this pamphlet illustrate the decline of the incidence of tooth decay in the nation's schoolchildren. The report, based on a study of more than 40,000 children, found that students have 36 percent less tooth decay than they did in the beginning of 1980. Appended to the graphs is a National Institutes of Health press release which…

Poor oral health is an important public health issue. Adolescents represent a challenging group in terms of oral health because they have vulnerable permanent teeth erupting at a time when they are establishing their independence from parental influence. Preventing oral disease by attempting to influence the behaviours that impact adversely on…

Oral and dental problems of the typical college-age population are described, and techniques for an adequate examination of the oral cavity are discussed. (JD)

A survey of 113 graduates of the State University of New York at Stony Brook dental school now in general practice found a high rate of self-reported use of preventive practices (oral hygiene instruction, pit-and-fissure sealants, fluorides, and diet analysis) included in the dental school's curriculum. (MSE)

The cost and effectiveness of various types and combinations of school-based preventive dental care procedures were assessed in the National Preventive Dentistry Demonstration Program, a four-year study involving more than 20,000 students, from ten schools nationwide. Communal water fluoridation was reaffirmed as the most cost-effective means of…

Dental attitudes of college students were examined: frequency of past visits; subceptibility to dental conditions; seriousness, preventability, and treatability of dental conditions; and satisfaction with dentists, practices, and other dental conditions. (Authors/CJ)

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)

Prevention of dental disease is the key to improving the nation's oral health. The American Dental Association (ADA) program of prevention and control of dental disease through improved access to comprehensive care concentrates on those who have special difficulties in receiving care: the poor, the elderly, the handicapped, the institutionalized…

Five dental schools were given grants to design and implement a training program for dental students in planning and delivering preventive dental services. These programs are described and compared, and it is concluded that all were generally successful and worthy of continuation. (JSR)