Abstract
To investigate the impact of an integrated oral health promotion intervention, within the Syrian national immunisation programme, which provided free preventive dental health products, without health workers' counselling, on one-year-old infants' tooth-brushing and bottle-feeding termination practices.
a randomised controlled parallel-group trial.
A maternal and child health centre in Sweida city, Syria.
92 mothers of one-year-old infants, attending an infant vaccination clinic, were allocated into three groups: Test, Control One and Control Two.
The Test group received an oral health promotion package including an infant oral health pamphlet, a baby toothbrush, fluoride toothpaste (1,000 mg/L) and a trainer cup, without health workers' counselling. Control One received only the pamphlet, whilst Control Two received no intervention.
after one month, the presence of old plaque on infants' primary teeth was checked, to assess tooth-brushing behaviour. Also, a mothers' self-completed questionnaire was administered to assess bottle-feeding use
The response rate was 100% and the attrition rate was zero. There were differences in tooth-brushing and bottle-feeding termination practices between the three groups (P⟩0.001). Infants in the Test group were less likely to have old plaque and more likely to stop bottle-feeding than their counterparts in the two control groups. There were no differences in the abovementioned outcomes between the two control groups.
Providing free preventive dental health products, without health worker's counselling, in an integrated oral health promotion intervention, was an effective measure to promote infants' tooth-brushing and bottle-feeding termination practices. These findings should be supported by long-term follow up studies.
Keywords
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