Early childhood caries: Experience with children from urban and rural areas of Chaco, Argentina
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Abstract
Introduction
This experience is a part of the activities developed in a private practice in the urban area of the city of Resistencia, Chaco and also the extension tasks in oral prevention in a rural area called Impenetrable Chaqueño motivated by the scarce data about prevalence of early childhood caries, sweets consumption and oral hygiene habits in children from 0 to 5 years from the Wichi ethnic group.
Objective: To determine the prevalence of early childhood caries and to promote oral hygiene habits in children, parents and teachers.
Situation Analysis: Through non-invasive oral examination of children aged 0 to 5 years it was observed that the great majority had caries lesions in the anterior superior teeth and what is worse in adults ignored about oral hygiene, brushing techniques and etiological factors, associated with cultural customs.
Intervention Strategies: They were implemented in two phases which are diagnosis and preventive educational strategies. In diagnosis personal data, oral status of the four anterior anterosuperior teeth were registered in terms of carbohydrates, type, frequency and sugar moments, record of the child and family brushing and last dental consultation and in phase 2 preventive-educational strategies the educational workshops were carried out in which dental brushing techniques were taught. Parents and the entire education community participated in the workshops with the contribution of the auxiliary teachers (ADA) and bilingual teachers.
Results: Working with the population objective demonstrated the importance of cultural interrelation and the promotion of dental care and prevention in early childhood
