Simplified basic periodontal examination in adolescents before and after a tailored treatment dental program

Oral health status and indicators in children of Armenia based on the national surveys

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to determine the dynamics and the structure of dental morbidity of the children population of the Republic of Armenia, in order to improve the system of methods of therapeutic and preventive measures.

METHODS

In recommended children's key age groups, 5879 WHO assessment forms (1997) were analyzed. Calculated prevalence and intensity of dental caries, the Significant Index of Caries (SiC) and European dental health indicators, and the condition of periodontal tissues were determined with the help of the community periodontal index (CPI) and oral hygiene by OHI-S. The statistical analysis was performed within the SPSS 19 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). The obtained data were statistically processed in the STATISTICA 6.0 (StataCorp LLC, College Station, TX, USA) for Excel program (Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA, USA).

RESULTS

The prevalence of caries of temporary teeth was 91.7% on the average. In 12-year-old schoolchildren the average prevalence of caries of permanent teeth rate was 87.5%. The prevalence of periodontal lesions in children was 47.8% on the average.

CONCLUSIONS

In Armenia there was an increase in dental morbidity during the 2009-2019 period, which presumably would be continued unless the factors affecting the development of diseases will be changed. To improve dental health at the population level not only specialists but also health authorities should make efforts introducing appropriate prevention programs.

Life Quality of Children Affected by Cleft Lip Palate and Alveolus (CLPA)

The aim of this study was to investigate the quality of life of children and adolescents affected by cleft lip, palate and alveolus (CLPA) in the Italian population after a tailored treatment dental program. A prospective study was conducted with subjects of both genders at the University Hospital of Pisa, Italy. This study included 32 patients (11 females and 21 males, mean age: 9.8 ± 2.1 years old) affected by CLPA (test group); a tailored oral hygiene instruction protocol was adopted in the test group since early age (6.1 ± 0.9 years old) after corrective surgery and regular dental hygiene appointments were scheduled. Moreover, a control group of 32 patients (11 females and 21 males, mean age: 10.1 ± 2.2 years old) without CLPA was included; control subjects were first-visit patients, matched for age and sex, who had not received a specific dental hygiene program before. The OHIP-14 (Oral Health Impact Profile) questionnaire was applied for the evaluation of the quality of life of patients of both groups and the questions were presented directly to the patients. Moreover, the DMFT (Decayed, Missed and Filled Teeth) index was measured. A statistical analysis was performed and the level of significance was set at: p < 0.05. The OHIP-14 scores presented significant differences between the two groups (p < 0.05); the test group exhibited a lower mean OHIP-14 score in comparison to the control group. The DMFT score was significantly lower in the test group in comparison to controls (p: 0.001, p < 0.05). The quality of life and DMFT score of children and adolescents affected by CLPA, after a tailored treatment dental program, were better than that of the subjects of the control group.