ORAL HEALTH STATUS OF 3-6 YEARS-OLD NURSERY CHILDREN, TURKEY

Objectives: In this study, it was aimed to determine some socio-demographic characteristics, oral hygiene practices, oral habits, feeding habits and oral health status of nursery children.
Methods: The ethical approval of Hacettepe University and the written informed consent of the parents were obtained before the data collection. Eleven public nursery schools in one low-middle socio-economical level districts of the capital city of Turkey (Ankara) were covered; the data were gathered via a structured, pre-tested questionnaire from 729 parents and children’s oral examinations were done in the field conditions by a research assistant of Pediatric Dentistry Department. The oral health status was evaluated by using dmft, dmfs, D0-D4, ICDAS II, pufa, dental plaque and gingival indices. Furthermore, posterior,anterior and canine occlusion, dental anomalies, anthropoid diastemas and crowding existence were also evaluated.
Results: Of the 729 children, 55.4% was male; mean age was 58.8 ± 8.6 months; mean dmft was 4.8 ± 4.7 (4.6 ± 4.6 in females, 5.0 ± 4.8 in males) and the mean dmfs was 8.3 ± 10.2 . 538 children (73.8%) had early childhood caries (ECC) while severe ECC was 51.0%. Only 23 boys and 35 girls had totally healthy primary teeth according to D and ICDAS II. Of all children, 17.1% had initial, 28.0% had moderate and 46.9% had extensive decay according to ICDAS II. 64 boys and 31 girls had symptoms due to pufa index; a total of 180 teeth had clinical consequences of untreated dentine carious lesions. The mean plaque and gingival indices were 0.31 ± 0.32 and 0.08 ± 0.16, respectively.
Conclusions: In conclusion, pre-school children enrolled to the public nursery schools in a low-middle socio-economic level district in Turkey had high prevalence of carious lesions and there is an urgent need of preventive programs in the area.