A dental care programme for occasional dental attenders.

This study investigated the provision of dental care to primary schools in which many children were irregular or occasional dental attenders. The dental care programme was targeted at 9- to 11-year-old children in the two test schools, and comprised a series of dental health education lessons, followed by the offer of dental treatment within the school. This treatment was carried out using portable equipment set up in the medical room or spare classroom. Children in the control schools received a traditional school dental inspection and the offer of clinic-based treatment. The results showed that simple operative treatment could be satisfactorily provided on school premises, and by removing many barriers to dental care, could be considered appropriate in circumstances where there is a 'core, of children not receiving this care.