Influence of nutritional and oral hygiene habits on oral health in Croatian island children of school age

Authors

  • T Reic PhD student, School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb
  • T Galic Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Study of Dental Medicine, University of Split School of Medicine, Split
  • K Milatic PhD student, School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb
  • D Negovetic Vranic Department of Paediatric Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23804/ejpd.2019.20.03.03

Keywords:

Schoolchildren, Nutrition, Oral hygiene, Oral health

Abstract

AIM: The aim of this cross-sectional (analytical) study was to investigate the influence of nutritional and hygienic habits on oral health in children. MATERIALS: There were 143 children aged six to thirteen years attending primary school Blato, Blato, Croatia who participated in this study. Children were divided into groups according to age in younger primary school children (6–9 years old, n=82) and older primary school children (10–13 years old, n=61): according to gender in males (n=53) and females (n=90). The study was conducted by using a questionnaire of nutritional and hygienic habits and clinical dental examination. Decayed-missed-filled tooth index (DMFT) and plaque index were calculated. DIAGNOdent pen was used to assess caries presence on the first permanent molars. CONCLUSION: Results of this study showed that DMFT index is higher in older children than in younger children although their nutritional and oral hygiene habits are similar. Oral health in children of different sexes was the same as well as their nutritional and oral hygiene habits.