Topical fluoride for preventing dental caries in children and adolescents.

The use of topically applied fluoride has been widely researched as a means to reduce the risk of dental caries in conjunction with other treatment modalities (mechanical oral hygiene, dietary control, antimicrobial intervention, pit and fissure sealants). There is overwhelming evidence that reports not only the significance and importance of the use of fluoride as a caries-preventive agent, but also how safe fluoride application is when used appropriately, particularly in higher risk individuals and populations. This paper reviews the caries-protective benefits of topical fluoride application in children and adolescents, with an emphasis on the clinical efficacy and safety of the vehicles by which fluoride is topically delivered.

The utilization of dental hygiene students in school-based dental sealant programs.

Early detection of childhood caries is important to childrens' overall health. Untreated childhood caries can lead to pain, as in abscesses from prolonged neglect; altered dietary intake; and delays in the development of the permanent teeth if the primary teeth are prematurely lost. In the summer of 2000, funds were provided to various oral health care provider organizations by the Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Oral Health, to purchase portable equipment to deliver preventive services (i.

Oral health issues among migrant farmworkers.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine utilization patterns of dental services, unmet dental needs, access to care barriers, and oral health behaviors as perceived by migrant farmworkers at a rural southern Illinois farmworker health clinic.

Methods: Two bilingual dental hygiene students and one member of the local Hispanic community verbally administered a 26-item survey questionnaire to 119 migrant farmworker clients at a health center as they waited to receive care.

Results: Utilization results showed that 51% of those surveyed had not sought oral health care in the previous year, citing absence of pain or discomfort as the primary reason.