Oral Health Status Among 12-Year-Old Schoolchildren in Kosovo

ABSTRACT

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the oral health status of 12-year-old schoolchildren in Kosovo. Material and Methods: The study involved 1204 schoolchildren aged 12 years from urban and rural areas, from different cities of Kosovo. The questionnaire included demographic data, gender, residence, dental status, oral hygiene, and daily brushing habits. The feasibility of the questionnaire was verified replicating it on 10% of the sample. Daily brushing habits were reported to frequency: as once per day, twice a day and rarely. Caries status was recorded in permanent dentition as DMFT and Oral Hygiene Index - Simplified (OHI-S) was used to assess oral hygiene status. The analysis included occurrences and means. The differences among means were tested using the student t-test (p<0.05). Results: The highest mean and standard deviation of DMFT and OHI-S index was found among rural schoolboys 3.67 ± 1.98 and OHI-S 1.75. In total sample, 54.1% of them brush their teeth only once a day, 39.7 % brush their teeth twice a day and only 6.2 % rarely brush their teeth. Conclusion: Preventive measures are needed to improve dental health in 12 years old schoolchildren.