Prevalence and incidence of dental caries associated with the effect of tooth brushing and fluoride varnishing in schoolchildren at Galapagos Islands, Ecuador: Protocol of the EESO-Gal study

Abstract

Introduction: Dental caries is the most prevalent oral disease in Ecuador. In our country, there are no studies that have included the population of the Galapagos Islands. Fluoride application to incipient lesions of dental caries has shown to be effective in avoiding the use of invasive restorative procedures. Objectives: The objective of the EESO-Gal study is to determine the prevalence and incidence of dental caries and to evaluate the effect of supervised dental brushing, accompanied by periodic applications of fluoride varnish on incipient precarious lesions of schoolchildren in the Galapagos Islands. This article presents the protocol of the EESO-Gal study. Methods: A cohort is planned with Galapagos Islands schoolchildren to determine the prevalence and incidence of dental caries, with assessments every six months, during twenty-four months. Results: We expect to determine the prevalence and incidence of caries every six months, for twenty-four months, in schoolchildren between three and ten years of age, and obtain data to show the state of the caries conditions in Galapagos schoolchildren, with the inclusion of daily brushing at school, supervised by the teacher, and with the application of fluoride varnish every six months. Conclusions: The prevalence of dental caries and incidence after the program will demonstrate the importance of implementing oral health prevention and promotion actions to create hygiene and health habits from an early age.