ASSESSMENT OF THE PREVALENCE AND INTENSITY OF TOOTH DECAY AMONG TODLERS

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the prevalence and intensity of dental decay among todlers. Materials and methods. The article presents the results of our own research on studying the prevalence and intensity of early childhood tooth decay based on age, kindergarten groups, and residential areas. Dental examinations were conducted on 222 preschool children aged from 3–6 years, residing in urban and rural areas. Parents of the examined children were required to provide voluntary informed consent for diagnostics and treatment. We examined 112 children attending the “Violet” Kindergarten No. 5 under the Ternopil City Council. The following kindergarten groups were identified for our study as: two medium groups named “Chamomile” – 24 children; the second medium group “Bee” – 28 children; the junior group “Bells” – 29 children; and “Kapitoska” – 31 children. In the municipal preschool institution “Childhood Country” in Velykayaivska TG, Ternopil region, 110 mothers of children attending kindergartens with different groups agreed to undergo preventive examination. The kindergarten groups selected for this part of the study were: two medium groups named “Cheerful Hive” – 25 children; the medium group “Sun” – 24 children; the junior group “Caramels” – 31 children; and “Flower Meadow” – 30 children. According to our research, we created eight groups of children, with four groups identified in the urban kindergarten “Violet” and another four in the rural kindergarten “Childhood Country”. In the urban kindergarten, children from the junior and medium groups were divided into the main group and the control group. The main junior group consisted of 29 children aged 3–4 years, while the control junior group consisted of 31 children. The main medium group included 28 children aged 5–6 years, and the control medium group had 24 children. In the rural kindergarten “Childhood Country,” children from the junior and medium groups were also divided into the main group and the control group. The main junior group comprised children aged 3–4 years, totaling 30 children, while the control junior group had 31 children. The main medium group included children aged 5–6 years, totaling 25 children, and the control medium group had 24 children. Observations of the children continued for two years, with planned check-ups conducted at 6 and 12 months. During the scheduled check-ups, clinical examinations of the oral cavity were performed following a standard procedure, and individual patient records were filled out. The prevalence and intensity of tooth decay were assessed using the cp(f) and cp(s) indexes. To diagnose initial tooth decay in all children, the intensity of enamel demineralization was evaluated using a 2 % methylene blue solution and the Aksamit 10-point scale. Conclusions. The obtained results indicate that the place of residence and age groups of kindergarten significantly influence the prevalence and intensity of tooth decay, which statistically increases with age. Timely preventive consultations with a dentist will contribute to reducing the prevalence and intensity of tooth decay in young children. Overall, this will help lower the progression of tooth decay in young children.