THE STATE OF ORAL HYGIENE AND THE PREVALENCE OF DENTAL CARIES IN SCHOOLCHILDREN AGED 12 TO 15 YEARS

Abstract

Children‘s dental caries is one of the most widely spread diseases. The intensity and prevalence of this disease vary in different countries. In places where the prevention programmes have been implemented and with a higher living standards the disease statistic data are lower than in the places with worse living conditions and insufficient attention to dental care. Notwithstanding diverse children‘s oral health improvement programs that have been executed in Lithuania children‘s dental caries has still remained one of the most widely spread diseases. The goal of the paper was to investigate the state of oral hygiene and the prevalence of dental caries among 12-15 year old schoolchildren. 253 pupils aged 12 to 15 years old participated in the research. In the performed clinical research, the prevalence and the intensity of dental caries were evaluated. The results revealed a rather wide prevalence of schoolchildren‘s dental caries. Both the intensity of caries and the prevalence increase in line with increasing age - the prevalence in the group of 15 years old schoolchildren reached up to 96 percent and the intensity of caries – up to 5.9 percent. Caries intensity was significantly subject to gender and residence place of schoolchildren as well. The stronger caries intensity was indicated among boys and schoolchildren living in the countryside. Oral hygiene index was not related with age but significantly subject to gender and residence place. Boys‘ oral hygiene was more poor compared with girls‘ and rural schoolchildren’s’ oral hygiene was worse compared the urban schoolchildren living. The pupils‘ caries intensity significantly depended on oral hygiene index – the worse mouth hygiene the higher caries intensity.