Dynamics of the prevalence and degree of periodontal diseases and tooth decayin children aged 6-15 years in Chernomorsk, over a 9 year period.

Abstract

The ever-chaning dynamics of tooth growth in children 6–15 years old was observed over a 9-year as well as the level of dental care the children received was determined in collaboration with the local school’s dental personell, The scientific evidence collected in this study showed the social significance of erecting and maintaining the practice of proper dental care in the new politico-economic climate. This was confirmed by the increase in the level of dental care from insufficient (47 %) to satisfactory (75 %) over the course of 6 years due to the presence of a dental hygienist as part of the medical personelle in a secondary school. The level of dental care ranged from 23 % at the age of 6 to 75 % among graduates (same children) at the age of 17. Annually, routine examinations performed by the dental hygienist at the school covered 92.3 % of children, as a result of which over 4 years of follow-up (12–15 years old children) the number of exacerbated tooth decay decreased 3,02 times and the the prevalence of permanent tooth decay decreased. Objective performance indicators of the school dental office substantiate the importance of school dentistry. Key words: children of school age, condition of hard tissues of teeth, caries of teeth, condition of periodontal, oral hygiene. For citation: Reyzvikh OE, Shnayder SA, Anisimova LV. Dynamics of the prevalence and degree of caries and periodontal diseases and tooth decay in children aged 6-15 years in Chernomorsk, over a 9 year period. Journal of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine. 2019;25(3):332–6