Scholarly record
PREVALENCE OF CARIES AND TREATMENT NEEDS AMONG PRESCHOOL AND SCHOOL CHILDREN IN LOW INCOME MUNISIPALITY OF KOSOVA
Abstract
Introduction and Objective Dental caries as one of the most widespread diseases in the world among others is influenced by economic conditions. Fushe Kosova , Kastrioti and Hajvalia is a small town in the central part of Kosovo, which is characterized by poor economic development. The aim of the study was to assess caries prevalence, oral hygiene index and treatment needs among children in these municipalities. Material and methods The number of 426 children (6- to 14-year old) were randomly selected, in only one elementary school that exists in the city. Dental caries and treatment needs were evaluated using standard WHO oral survey methods. The teeth were clinically examined with standard dental instruments using visual-tactile method. Clinical indexes of decayed, missed, and filled teeth (dmft/DMFT) were recorded. Diagnostic criteria was calibrated, with inter-examiner reliability resulting in kappa = 0.90, based on the examination of 25 children of different ages. Results The mean age of examined children was 9.4 years. From the total 426 examined children of ages 6-14 years old, the 217 (51\%) were male, 209 (49\%) female. Overall, mean dmft were 7.1. There was no significant difference between gender for mean dmft/DMFT (pextless0.005). Caries prevalence expressed in general by caries index person, or dmftextgreater0, is 94\%. Overall, mean dmft were 7.1. The mean dmft/DMFT for mail gender was 7.2, while the mean dmft/DMFT for female gender was 6.9. There was no significant difference between gender for mean dmft/DMFT (pextless0.005). From the total mean dmft/DMFT, 7,1, respectively 74\% of the dmft/DMFT structure, was decayed or untreated teeth. Conclusion Our results showed a high caries prevalence among children . The number of untreated teeth was very high. The bad oral health status in children indicating a need for an extensive program of primary oral health care. It is important to introduce oral health promotion, especially from an educational perspective.
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