Assessment of Restorative Index and Need index in School Chidren

Objective:The study was designed to assess the restorative index and met need index of 12-14 year old school children in Ibadan, Nigeria.Materials and Methods:The children for the study were taken from the state government secondary schools in the five local government areas in Ibadan metropolis. Eleven schools were chosen using a proportionate sampling method and 577 school children were randomly selected from the schools. Demographic data were obtained from the children while oral examinations were carried out at the respective schools over a period of 4-5 months. Dental caries was diagnosed according to WHO standard method and criteria. Caries experience was expressed as the number of decayed, missing (due to caries) and filled teeth (DMFT). Third molars were excluded from the teeth examined.Results:Mean age of the children was 13.2 ± 0.83 years. 11.2% of the children had dental caries as expressed with the DMFT Index. Mean DMFT for males was 1.78± 1.0 while for females it was 2.03± 1.13 (p> 0.05). Restorative index (RI) for both males and females were 1.75% and 1.49% respectively while the met need index (MNI) were 0.04 and 0.09 respectively. At age 12 years, RI and MNI were zero while at age 13, RI was zero while MNI was 0.04. At age 14, RI was 3.45% while MNI was 0.11Conclusion:In conclusion, the low value of both indices found in this study demonstrate the continuing need for more preventive strategies and treatment services in terms of restorative care for this important age group. As the condition of the permanent teeth will to a large extent determine the future dental health of emerging population cohorts of young adults.