Program for Dental Health Advancement in Children „Dental Passport“

OBJECTIVE: The need for improving oral health in the Republic of Croatia was based on health indicators and poor oral health status and resulted in the implementation of measures to improve the use of dental health care for schoolchildren through the national program called “Dental Passport”, which began in the 2017/2018 school year. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to present the content and results of its implementation and to analyse them with emphasis on the sustainability and inclusion of the program and its implementation in preventive activities and procedures. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The data were collected from the completed “Dental Passport” forms from September 2017 to August 2018. The dental examinations and diagnostic-therapeutic procedures were recorded in The Central Health Information System of Croatia. RESULTS: In the school year 2017/2018, 24,729 6(th) grade elementary school students visited a dentist. The response rate in the Republic of Croatia was 68%. According to the CEZIH data, in the period from September 1 to December 31 2017, an increase in the number of first examinations and diagnostic-therapeutic procedures was observed in children aged 12 years, compared to the same period in 2015. The least reported preventive procedures in preschool children and 6(th) grade students were fissure sealing and sealing restorations, while motivating and instructing children on oral hygiene were the most common reported procedures. CONCLUSION: Good organization of work in school medicine provides the basis for the implementation of dental programs involving schoolchildren. However, greater motivation of the dental health care provider in the implementation of preventive procedures and motivation of parents and patients for a more active involvement in the “Dental Passport” program are important determinants in further implementation and improvement of oral health in children.