Periodontal status in 18-year-old Lithuanian adolescents: An epidemiological study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the periodontal and oral hygiene status of 18-year-old Lithuanian adolescents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional data were collected by a multistage sampling approach that was used to draw a representative sample of 1063 adolescents attending schools. In total, 20 schools from the alphabetical list of educational institutions in Lithuania agreed to participate. Periodontal status was evaluated using the Periodontal Screening and Recording (PSR) index. The oral hygiene status was assessed using the Silness-Löe plaque index. RESULTS: The analysis of the PSR index showed that 77.1% of the study population exhibited gum bleeding on probing, had supragingival and/or subgingival calculus, and shallow pockets. Analysis of the composition of the PSR index revealed that in children whose parents had low education levels (18.6%), gum bleeding was more common than in those whose parents had medium education levels (9.5%) (P<0.05). Our data showed that in 40.0% of the study participants, oral hygiene status was satisfactory, with a statistically significant difference between boys (46.9%) and girls (35.3%) (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study showed that the periodontal and oral hygiene status of 18-year-old Lithuanian population could be characterized as poor. In total, 77.1% of the study participants were found to have periodontal conditions such as gum bleeding, dental calculus, and shallow pockets. The anterior teeth of the mandible were most frequently affected.

Age and gender influence on oral hygiene among adolescents with fixed orthodontic appliances.

BACKGROUND: Many factors can influence oral health including oral hygiene measures, eating habits, attention from parents, education and the social situation. It is even harder to keep good oral health when orthodontic treatments are applied, because orthodontic treatments are usually undergone by children and adolescents who have fewer skills and pay less attention to their oral health; this may lead to bleeding on probing (BOP), a higher plaque index (PI), a higher gingival index (GI), and an increase in probing pocket depth (PPD). The aim of this study was to compare the features of oral hygiene among different age groups and gender in patients with fixed orthodontic appliances. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study consisted of 107 patients from the Department of Orthodontics of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences aged 12 to 18 years with fixed orthodontic appliances. The patients were given a questionnaire with 17 questions about their oral hygiene and how it changed after they started their treatment with fixed orthodontic appliances. A statistical analysis was performed using the IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0. RESULTS: Among the 107 participants, 69 (64.5%) were females and 38 (35.5%) were males. 57 (53.3%) participants were 12 to 15 years old and 50 (46.7%) 16 to 18 years old. There was a statistically significant result when comparing the differences between females and males: females brushed their teeth more regularly than males (p<0.005). Statistically significant results could also be observed when comparing the different age groups: 16 to 18 year old patients reported more often brushing their teeth three or more times a day (p<0.005), reported more intensive changes in their oral hygiene after starting orthodontic treatments (p<0.005), and received more recommendations from their orthodontist about oral hygiene measures (p<0.005). CONCLUSION: In patients with fixed orthodontic appliances, the oral hygiene of 16 to 18 year old adolescents is better than the oral hygiene of 12 to 15 year old adolescents. Females brush their teeth more regularly than males. More studies should be done to evaluate any differences.

Prevalence and severity of dental caries among 18-year-old Lithuanian adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence and severity of dental caries among 18-year-old Lithuanian adolescents and to disclose possible differences in the prevalence and severity of dental caries related to gender, urbanization, and different county. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 1063 18-year-old adolescents attending school, 427 boys and 636 girls from 10 Lithuanian counties including urban and rural areas, were included in the cross-sectional study on dental caries. The method of multistage cluster sampling was used. The dental examination was performed according to the methodology of oral status evaluation recommendations by the World Health Organization (WHO). The prevalence of dental caries, DMFT score, Significant Caries Index, and dental care index were determined. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of dental caries among 18-year-old Lithuanian adolescents was 78.3%. The study population had a mean DMFT score of 2.93 [SD, 2.81]. Considering the gender, a higher DMFT score was observed among girls than boys (3.03 [SD, 2.88] versus 2.73 [SD, 2.71]) and in rural than urban areas (3.02 [SD, 2.98] versus 2.89 [SD, 2.73]). The Significant Caries Index and the dental care index among 18-year-old adolescents were 6.14 and 62.3%, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study showed a relatively high prevalence of dental caries. The existing differences of caries experience between the urban and the rural areas as well as between the counties could be influenced by the socioeconomic differences in the country.

The role of parental education and socioeconomic status in dental caries prevention among Lithuanian children.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to disclose parental attitudes toward their children's dental care and preventive measures used as well as to evaluate their associations with parental education and socioeconomic status. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1248 parents of 7-, 9-, and 12-year-old children from 5 largest Lithuanian cities were enrolled in the study. The questionnaire comprised 34 items, which were grouped into 4 clusters. RESULTS: The parents with a high educational level scored better than those who had a low educational level (2.13 [SD, 0.39] vs. 2.2 [0.43], P=0.002). The parents who reported sufficient-family income scored their child's and their own health significantly better than those reporting insufficient-family income (2.02 [SD, 0.37] vs. 2.27 [SD, 0.41], P<0.001). The parents cared about their child's health more than about their own (1.53 [SD, 0.51] vs. 2.15 [0.61], P<0.001). The parents with a high educational level and those receiving sufficient income cared about education on oral hygiene and regular preventive dental check-ups more than those with a low educational level and insufficient income (36.7% and 40.8% vs. 30.2% and 28.7%, P<0.01 and P<0.001, respectively). The children whose parents had a high educational level brushed their teeth 2 times a day more frequently than those of the parents with a low educational level (48.5% and 42.4%, respectively, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Greater attention to children's dental care as well as keeping their teeth healthy was paid by the parents with a high educational level and sufficient income.

Severe early childhood caries and behavioral risk factors among 3-year-old children in Lithuania.

UNLABELLED: The objective of the present study was to investigate the prevalence and severity of early childhood caries (ECC) and severe early childhood caries (S-ECC) in 3-year-old Lithuanian children. The impact of selected behavioral risk factors on the development of S-ECC was investigated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 950 children were examined in kindergartens. Diagnosis of dental caries followed the WHO criteria. Questionnaires were delivered to mothers of the children with S-ECC and caries-free children. The questions were related to the children's dietary habits, temperament, oral hygiene, and the use of fluoride toothpaste. RESULTS: The prevalence of ECC was 50.6% with a mean dmft of 2.1 (SD, 0.1) and a mean dmfs of 3.4 (SD, 0.2). The prevalence of S-ECC was 6.5% with a mean dmft of 7.8 (SD, 0.1) and dmfs of 18.1 (SD, 0.6). A significantly higher percentage of children developed S-ECC when they were breast-fed for a period longer than one year, were sleeping with a bottle containing carbohydrates during the night, or were allowed to sip from a bottle either going to sleep or during the day. A significantly higher percentage of mothers having caries-free children knew about risk factors of S-ECC and started tooth brushing after the eruption of the first tooth. There was no significant difference between the groups regarding the use of fluoride toothpaste. CONCLUSIONS: Improper infant bottle-feeding habits and no tooth brushing were found to be significant for the development of S-ECC among 3-year-old Lithuanian children.

[Analysis of dental caries prevention program in 7-12-year-old Lithuanian schoolchildren]. / 7-12 metu Lietuvos moksleiviu kruminiu dantu eduonies profilaktikos programos analize.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to assess dental status in 7-12-year-old Lithuanian children and to evaluate the extent and the efficiency of the Pit and Fissure Sealing in Permanent Molars program. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed between September 2007 and May 2008. Children, aged 7-12 years, from secondary schools in five biggest cities of Lithuania were invited for the examination using a cluster random sampling method. The data for the present study were collected following the general principles for basic oral health surveys of the World Health Organization. RESULTS: The prevalence of dental caries was 85.5%, 88.9%, and 70.6% in 7-8-, 9-10-, and 12-year olds, respectively. The prevalence of dental caries in permanent molars increased with age and became as high as 57.7% in 12-year-old children. The data showed that the mean number of sealed teeth depends on the county and ranged from 0.83 (1.31) to 1.45 (1.85) in 7-8-year olds, from 0.95 (1.29) to 2.54 (1.15) in 9-10-year olds, and from 0.26 to 2.13 (1.15) in 12-year olds. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence and incidence of dental caries in 7-12-year-old Lithuanian children are high. Only half of all examined children have at least one sealed molar. The financial resources allocated for the Pit and Fissure Sealing in Permanent Molars program were used insufficiently; therefore, there is a need for systematic measures in order to improve the efficacy of the aforementioned program.

Oral health status and effectiveness of caries prevention programme in kindergartens in Kaunas city (Lithuania).

PURPOSE: To describe oral health status and to evaluate the effectiveness of a caries prevention programme in preschool children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A sample of 1656 3- to 7-year-old children were examined in kindergartens in 2002, and 411 3-year-old children were then selected to participate in the prevention programme. The test group A (n = 156), group B (n = 118), and the control group (n = 137) were defined for the study. For test group A, supervised toothbrushing was prescribed and for test group B, fluoride gel applications were used. For the control group, children did not undergo any of the aforementioned procedures. Dental caries was assessed according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria, and oral hygiene according to the Greene-Vermillion simplified oral hygiene index. Preventive programmes were based on oral hygiene instructions, supervised daily toothbrushing, and fluoride gel applications. The relationship between oral hygiene and severity of dental caries was determined by using Fisher's test. RESULTS: The prevalence of dental caries varied between 39.7% and 90.8%, and the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmf-t) varied between 1.3 +/- 0.16 and 5.0 +/- 0.24. Oral hygiene was satisfactory in 43.2% of children. During the 3 years of the programme, a significant difference was found between the test and the control groups. The reduction in test group A was 45.4% and in test group B was 60.1%. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence and severity of dental caries among the examined children increased with age, and was lower in both the test groups compared with the control group. The professional fluoride applications and proper oral hygiene showed the most effective results in caries prevention.