It is suggested that repeated health care guidance is required in order to improve the oral health of children. To bring this about at present, the most practical way would be the incorporation of a more intensive oral health guidance program into the Medical Examination and Guidance for the Infants Aged 4 Months.
The present study aimed at exploring the most effective program for the improvement of oral health among young children. Infants aged 4 months and their mothers, who visited the Nishi Health Center in Suginami Ward in Tokyo for the medical health program, were chosen, instructed in daily home care for the prevention of dental caries, and examined for the changes in their oral health status and behaviour after 12 months.
The results obtained were as follows:
1) Instructions given only once when the child was 4 months of age were without satisfactory effect, but 3 successive sessions instruction given the subsequent 12months provided a improvement in the daily home care and oral health of children, particularly in the dietary habits.
2) Dental health behaviour of the group with detectable dental caries generally showed bad daily home care. More frequent and irregular ingestion of sugarcontainning snacks was observed in the caries-prone group than in the caries-free group.
3) The instructions even if repeated from when the child was 4 months of age did not stop habitual finger-sucking.
These results suggest that dental health care guidance first given to the child at 4 months of age should be reinforced by 2 or more successive sessions of instruction at 3-4 months intervals and that a control of the ingestion of snacks with a high content of sugar is most important for improving the oral health of children.