Dental status of school children with physical development disorders who live in rural areas

Abstract

Aim. To determine the dental status of students with physical development disorders in rural schools. Methods. Examined were 360 school students of the Alkeyevsky region of the Republic of Tatarstan aged from 7 to 12 years. The comprehensive assessment of physical development included determination of the biological age, constitutional body type, height and weight. The evaluation was conducted on a scale of regression. Occlusion was assessed according to the classification of L.S. Persin (1989). Determined was the extent of dental caries, the depth of the vestibule of the oral cavity, examined was the condition of the frenulums of the lips and tongue, the shape of the head, the respiratory and swallowing functions. Results. Disorders of physical development were detected in 32.2% of children, with prevalence of excessive weight gain in 58.6% of cases. Pathological bite was found in 296 (82.2%) of the school students: deep premaxillary occlusion - 22.6%, close positioning of the teeth - 52.7%. The index of the extensiveness of caries was 5.6±2.4 in the group of children with excess body weight and 4.8±2.9 in underweight children. Revealed were anomalies in the attachment of soft tissues of the oral cavity: a shallow vestibule - 63.4%, impaired attachment of the frenulums of lips and tongue - 47.3%. Mouth breathing was detected in 26.3% of children with impaired physical development, which in children with excess weight gain was found in 7.1% of students, and in the group of underweight children was noted in 37.5% of students. Infantile type of swallowing was found in 26.3% of examined students. Conclusion. School students who live in rural areas often have physical development disorders and a poor dental status: high frequency of malocclusion, dental caries, disorders of the breathing, chewing and swallowing, as well as anomalies in the attachment of soft tissues and a small vestibule of the oral cavity.