[Dental fillings in school-children from the Alcalá la Real-Martos Health District (Jaén)].

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate 4-6 years later the state of dental fillings in 6-8 year old school-children treated at a health centre.

DESIGN

Monitoring of a cohort with intervention.

SETTING

Alcalá la Real Health Centre (Jaén).

PATIENTS

In the school years 94-95 and 95-96 a total de 88 second-year EPO (compulsory primary education) students received at least one occlusal silver amalgam filling in their first permanent molars. 4-6 years later, 78 students, who had had 157 fillings, were examined.

INTERVENTIONS

Silver amalgam fillings in first permanent molars.

MAIN MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS

The success or failure of the fillings was measured. The failure rate was 11.5% (95% CI, 6.0-17.0), with authentic failures (marginal infiltration, recurrent caries, broken filling and broken tooth) (58.8%) predominating over false failures (caries elsewhere) (41.2%). Neither sex, age when the filling was inserted, dental arch (upper or lower), nor the index of temporary caries at the start were statistically linked to the failure of fillings.

CONCLUSIONS

In clinical terms, the health centre has an adequate level of efficacy 4-6 years after inserting simple silver amalgam fillings in 6-8 year old school-children.