Research Article
Simona Milciuviene, Egle Be
Abstract
Objective. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of dental caries, DMFT and evaluate the oral hygiene among 12 year-old schoolchildren in ten counties of Lithuania. Material and methods. One thousand thirty five (1035) 12 year-old schoolchildren were clinically examined for dental caries and evaluation of oral hygiene was performed. Caries was recorded in accordance with the WHO criteria. Oral hygiene was evaluated by OHI-S index (Green and Vermillion). Results. The prevalence of dental caries was 74.5% and varied between counties from 59.4% to 96.2%. The mean DMFT was 2.56 ± 0.07 and varied between counties from 1.41 ± 0.15 to 4.46 ± 0.25. Oral hygiene was satisfactory (mean OHI-S 1.36 ± 0.06). 37.3% of the children brushed their teeth twice per day, 49.1% - once daily, and 13.6% brushed their teeth seldom. An association between dental caries and oral hygiene was found. Conclusions. The prevalence of dental caries was 74.5%. The mean DMFT was 2.56 ± 0.07. Oral hygiene was satisfactory and the mean OHI-S was 1.36 ± 0.06. The number of teeth affected by dental caries ranked from 1 to 4, result found in 61.6% of schoolchildren examined. The oral health status may be improved by the implementation of preventive programs. The creation of the program was based on the findings of the present study. Aprogram based on main methods, as teaching proper oral hygiene habits and application of sealants on the first molars was implemented in 6-8 year-old children.