Prevalence of main dental diseases in children who live in conditions of biogeochemical fluorine and iodine deficiency

Abstract

Background: Dental status is one of the main indicators of overall health. We examined it in children aged 6–15 years who live in conditions of biogeochemical fluorine and iodine deficiency (Transcarpathian region, Ukraine), to improve the quality of dental care. Materials and Methods: In this cross sectional study To assess the state of teeth, we used indicators recommended by the WHO Expert Committee. The prevalence and intensity of dental caries, periodontal status, oral hygiene status and dentoalveolar anomalies were determined using a questionnaire and descriptive analyses was done (P < 0.05). Results: The total prevalence of caries in deciduous teeth in children was 57.86% ± 1.56%, with intensity of 2.61 ± 0.6. The total prevalence of caries in permanent teeth was 71.45% ± 1.31%, with intensity of 2.36 ± 0.52. Analysis of the results showed a high prevalence of periodontal disease, which increases with age. The level of oral hygiene was evaluated as unsatisfactory. Studying the prevalence of dentoalveolar anomalies showed the lowest prevalence (40.05% ± 2.56%) at the age of 6 years and the maximum value at 12 years (77.20% ± 2.75%). In addition, we found poor hygienic knowledge of the parents, lack of medical activity of parents to preserve dental health of the child, lack of dentists’ work on hygiene education, and public health education for prevention of dental diseases. On the other hand, a high level of confidence was revealed in the information received from dentists. Conclusion: The high prevalence of leading dental diseases requires modernization of the existing prevention programs for children.