Service Delivery of a Preventive Oral Health Care Model to High Caries Risk Urban Children in Sri Lanka: A Retrospective, Descriptive Study

Background: Caries in primary teeth poses a global public health challenge as the most common chronic childhood disease in young children. It is compounded by marked social and geographical inequalities demonstrating high risk groups of children who carry the highest burden of the disease. Present study aims to describe an oral health care delivery model catering to both demands and needs for high caries risk, urban children in Sri Lanka with futuristic strategizing for improving its performance.

Methods: Local data were extracted from data sources of the Department of Census and Statistics and Sri Lanka National Dental Hospital (Teaching) Colombo. Accordingly, the Preventive Dental Clinic Performance Data and Preschool Oral Health Programme data were accessed. Moreover, an extensive literature search was conducted. The data entry and analysis were performed using SPSS 16. Descriptive Statistics were used for presentation of data.

Results: Present oral health care model has catered to a total of 5034 high-risk, urban children aged 20 months to 12-years from low socio economic backgrounds during the year 2015 with a coverage approximately of 10% of 1-9 year-old-age group in the target area. The oral health care delivery comprised of 8165 total visits to the Preventive Dental Clinic for 22915 of treatment procedures. 100% of children received behavioural management, dietary counseling and brushing advice and 63.4% received clinical preventive dental treatment comprising of fluoride varnish application, fluoride gel application and pit & fissure sealants. The screening coverage for preschool children was 82% comprising of high risk children, with an unmet need of 69.4% predominantly presented as untreated dental caries and met need of 59.2%.

Conclusions: Present study demonstrated that a range of preventive dental treatment options could be offered to high caries risk, urban children to address their unmet needs and demands in oral health care.