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Caries incidence in permanent first molars after discontinuation of a school‐based chlorhexidine‐thymol varnish program

2003; Wiley; Volume: 31; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1034/j.1600-0528.2003.00034.x

1600-0528

Pilar Baca, Pilar Junco, Manuel Bravo, Adela P. Baca, Maximiliano Muñoz,

Dental Research and COVID-19

Abstract – Objectives: To determine whether the cessation for 3 years of a 24‐month program of chlorhexidine‐thymol varnish applications would affect caries incidence in the first permanent molars of a population of schoolchildren of middle and lower‐middle socioeconomic level. Methods : Two groups of 6–7‐year‐old schoolchildren, randomized by school‐class, were followed up in a clinical trial. One group received applications of chlorhexidine‐thymol varnish every 3 months and the other group acted as controls. The program ended after 24 months and its effects were evaluated. Three years later, 55.5% of the schoolchildren were re‐examined and the caries increments were documented. Results : At the end of the 24‐month program, the treated children had significantly fewer decayed and filled surfaces in permanent molars (lower DFS index) versus the controls. At 3 years after the discontinuation of the program, this difference had disappeared; there were no differences in the incidence of decayed, missing and filled surfaces (DMFS) index in permanent molars between the treated children and the controls. Conclusion : The cessation for 3 years of a 3‐month program of chlorhexidine‐thymol varnish applications resulted in a nonsignificant increase in the prevalence of dental caries in the permanent first molar.