Literature Review: Outreach Service Using Silver Diamine Fluoride To Arrest Early Childhood Caries

Introduction

The World Health Organization highlighted oral health as one of the most significant aspects of the overall well-being of any human being. Dental issues continue to compromise oral health, and Early Childhood care (ECC) is one of the most significant challenges. In Hong Kong alone, more than half of the children suffer from ECC. This illness can lead to several complications, especially dentition compromise, pain, and infection. One in two children suffering from ECC has such an alarming prevalence, worsened by the fact that a higher incidence is observed among five-year-olds. The article discusses Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF)), one of the most pioneering research employed to combat ECC among the most highly affected population in Hong Kong.

Material and Methods

The study outlines an outreach whose development and initiation started in 2008. Initially, it covered only about 14 kindergartens, but it grew by 2013 when it expanded to 100. In the outreach program,1,749 kids between three and five years old were screened, and 3,262 carious teeth of 786 children whose parents gave parental consent were applied SDF. The project was a success, leading to its extension to all the kindergartens in Hong Kong; between 2010 and 2029, 161 354 dental screenings were conducted through the outreach program, procedures that resulted in SDF therapy for 53,821 children. The elevation of success and impact of the program were elevated by focusing on parameters such as the prevalence of ECC, rate of participation, and levels of satisfaction.

Results

The outreach dental program had promising outcomes. The participating children recorded a decrease in prevalence from 43 to 34 percent between 2010 and 2013. This is an indication that the SDF therapy was effective as an intervention. To boost this, a follow-up was employed. Two hundred and twenty-two children were involved in this process, and when engaged in annual SDF therapy for three years, a 67 percent reveal was identified. The observed participation and [parental satisfaction rates remained consistently over 90 percent in all years. This was evidence that the program was highly and widely accepted. Additionally, despite the black-staining cosmetic effect of SDF therapy, it was received by up to 88 percent of the population. Furthermore, a cross-section survey was conducted, and it revealed that of all the children who participated, only about four percent suffered from dental anxiety and fear, which shows that the outreach program had a very positive impact on the experiences of the children in oral health.

Discussion

Considering the high prevalence of ECC in Hong Kong, the article points out the need to address this among preschool kids in Hong Kong. This is especially true after carefully considering the disparities in access to oral health services. Conventional healthcare services are limited to some of the population regarding affordability and accessibility. This alone necessitated an alternative approach, hence the exploration of SDF management given its safety, acceptability, and effectiveness. This method proved successful and innovative as an approach to providing dental care services to preschool students with a promising potential to significantly reduce the prevalence of ECC and improve overall dental health.

Conclusion

The article points out the need to deal with the high prevalence of ECC. This is done by introducing an outreach program that provides dental services through SDF therapy. The results of this program are a testament to its success since the statistics significantly show a reduction in the prevalence of ECC among the participating children. The high participation rates and overall patient satisfaction could be attributed to the success of this outreach program. SDF therapy came as a noninvasive and affordable tool, and it therefore offered a promising control for caries. The program’s positive results led to the Hong Kong University Grant Council recognizing it as an impact case study.

References

Zheng, F. M., Lo, E. C. M., & Chu, C. H. (2023). Outreach Service Using Silver Diamine Fluoride to Arrest Early Childhood Caries. international dental journal.