ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: System transformation in Poland after 1989 began the series of changes in the country, both favorable and negative in relation to the health of oral cavity. The aim of this study was to collect the up-to-date information in realtion to the occurrence and intensity of the most common diseases and disorders of the masticatory system in the West-Pomeranian population of young males, as well as the evaluation of degree of achievement of WHO targets for a year 2000 and a chance of reaching WHO targets for a year 2010. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Dental research was carried out on the group 720 conscripts, aged 18-19 years, from the West-Pomeranian Voivodship in Poland. RESULTS: Frequency of the caries in the examined group amounted to 98.62% and did not differ significantly in relation to the place of residence and formal education. The coefficient of the caries treatment was 0.47. The full dentition was maintained only by 78.47% of the examined young people. The healthy parodontium was observed only in 22.64% boys. Only 1/3 of the examined did not have malocclusion, and orthodontic treatment was recommended for 32.78% of the young people. Abnormalities in the functioning of temporal-mandibular joints was observed in 49.17% young people. CONCLUSIONS: We observed essential differences in the state of the masticatory organ, in relation to the place of residence and education. Conscripts from the West-Pomeranian voivodship, Poland, did not reach WHO targets for this age group for a year 2000, in relation to the health of the oral cavity.
