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An early oral health care program starting during pregnancy

Results of a prospective clinical long-term study

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Abstract

This study covers phase IV of a prospective clinical long-term study. Objective of this clinical investigation was to analyze the effects of a long-term prevention program on dental and oral health of teenagers at the age of 13 to 14 years. The entire study was subdivided into four phases. Phase I comprised an individual preventive care during pregnancy (“primary-primary prevention”); phase II assessed mothers and their young children until the age of 3 years (“primary prevention”); and in phase III, mothers and children at the age of 6 years were investigated. In phase IV of the study, the oral health of 13- to 14-year-old teenagers was examined (13.4 ± 0.5 years; n = 29). All phases consisted of an examination, education about oral health care, and treatment based on the concept of an early oral health care promotion. The control group consisted of randomly selected adolescents at the same age (n = 30). The following clinical parameters were assessed: decayed/missing/filled teeth (DMF-T)/decayed, missing, and filled surface teeth index, hygiene index, papilla bleeding index, Periodontal Screening Index, and Streptococcus mutans/Lactobacillus concentration in saliva. The teenagers of the “prevention” group of phase IV of our prospective study revealed a share of 89.7% caries-free dentitions (65.5% sound; 24.2% caries-free with fillings). Mean DMF-T was 0.55 ± 1.0. The control group showed a significantly higher mean DMF-T of 1.5 ± 1.5 (p < 0.05) and revealed 56.7% of caries-free dentitions (30% sound, 26.7% caries-free with restorations). Our data clearly document that an early oral health care promotion starting during pregnancy may cause a sustained and long-term improvement of the oral health of children.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Vivadent, Ellwangen, Germany for providing CRT®bacteria. Our thanks are due to Dr. L. Hoy at the Institute of Biometry, Hannover Medical School for her assistance and advice in the statistical evaluation.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Conservative Dentistry, Periodontology and Preventive Dentistry, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany

    Karen Meyer, Werner Geurtsen & Hüsamettin Günay

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  1. Karen Meyer
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  2. Werner Geurtsen
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  3. Hüsamettin Günay
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Correspondence to Hüsamettin Günay.

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Meyer, K., Geurtsen, W. & Günay, H. An early oral health care program starting during pregnancy. Clin Oral Invest 14, 257–264 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00784-009-0297-x

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