Comparative Effectiveness of School-based Caries Prevention

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Dental caries is the most prevalent childhood disease in the world and can lead to infection, pain, reduced quality of life, and negative educational outcomes. Multiple prevention agents are available to arrest and prevent dental caries, however little is known of the comparative effectiveness of co...

Dental caries is the most prevalent childhood disease in the world and can lead to infection, pain, reduced quality of life, and negative educational outcomes. Multiple prevention agents are available to arrest and prevent dental caries, however little is known of the comparative effectiveness of combined treatments in pragmatic settings. The aim of the presented study is to compare the benefit of silver diamine fluoride and fluoride varnish versus fluoride varnish and glass ionomer therapeutic sealants in the arrest and prevention of dental caries. This is a longitudinal, pragmatic, cluster randomized, single-blind, non-inferiority trial to be conducted in low-income minority children enrolled in public elementary schools in New York City, New York, United States, from 2018-2023. The primary objective is to assess the non-inferiority of alternative agents in the arrest and prevention of dental caries. Secondary objectives are to assess oral health-related quality of life and educational outcomes. Caries arrest will be evaluated after two years, and caries prevention and secondary outcomes will be assessed at the completion of the study. Data analysis will follow intent to treat, and statistical analyses will be conducted using a two-sided significance level of 0.05. Notably, the standard of care for dental caries is office-based surgery, which presents multiple barriers to care including cost, fear, and geographic isolation. The simplicity and affordability of silver diamine fluoride may be a viable alternative for the arrest and prevention of dental caries in high-risk children.

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