The prevalence of pit and fissure sealants among twelve year olds living in Puerto Rico during 1997

OBJECTIVE: to estimate the prevalence of pit and fissure sealants on first permanent molars in twelve year olds living in Puerto Rico and to further evaluate dental sealant prevalence by (1) urban/rural and public/private school status as well as (2) gender; DESIGN: population-based, cross-sectional study. SETTING: public and private schools encompassing the 11 health regions of Puerto Rico. Subjects: a probabilistic sample of 12-year old school attendees in Puerto Rico representing a population of approximately 70,000. METHOD: during April through December 1997, the first permanent molars of 1435 subjects were evaluated by visual and tactile methods for the presence of dental sealants. RESULTS: the data collected revealed that 4.3of 12 years olds presented at least one permanent first molar sealed. A statistically significant difference (p = 0.01) between urban-public (2.5), rural-public (3.39) and urban-private (11.0) schools was observed. The prevalence of sealants was higher in males (5.5) than females (2.9); (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: the prevalence of dental sealants in the first permanent molars of 12-year olds living in Puerto Rico during 1997 (4.3) is lower than that reported in the United States (18.5). Sealant prevalence was higher in males and students attending (urban) private schools.

General anesthesia: as a challenge and treatment need option in pediatric dentistry

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the type and characteristics of the interventions, indications of dental treatment and procedures performed to patients treated under general anesthesia (GA) by pediatric dentistry residents, during the 1997-1999 period. METHOD: A sample of 57 hospital records of patients treated as part of the Special Pediatric Course at the Puerto Rico Pediatric Hospital were reviewed. Statistical analysis was done using the chi-square test for inferences on proportions. RESULTS: MR patients made up 59.7and NMR patients made up 40.3of the sample studied. Ages ranged from 2 to 35 years with a mean age of 11 years (SD=8.54). MR patients were classified into 7 categories: mental retardation (38.2), cerebral palsy (14.7), epileptic (5.9), mental syndromes (26.9), hydrocephalic (5.9), autism (5.9) and others (2.9). The NMR were classified into 5 categories: early childhood caries (65.2), cardiac patients (8.7), maxillofacial anomalies (4.3), organic syndromes (13.1) and others (8.7). The dental procedures performed were: dental extractions 84(MR) and 68(NMR), restorative procedures 87.3(MR) and 12.7(NMR). Oral prophylaxis was performed in 76.8, fissure sealants in 10.7and topical fluoride applications in 21.8. CONCLUSION: Dental extraction was a frequently performed procedure in both groups. The prevalence of exodontia and restorative procedures indicates the need to design and implement prevention programs for special pediatric patients.