Oral Health in 12- and 15-Year-Old Children in Serbia: A National Pathfinder Study(Article)(Open Access)
- aClinic for Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, 11000, Serbia
- bDepartment of Restorative, Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Dental Clinic, University of Bern, Bern, 3010, Switzerland
- cClinic of Orthodontics, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, 11000, Serbia
- dDepartment of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Dentistry Clinic of Vojvodina, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, 21000, Serbia
- eDepartment of Statistics and Bioinformatics, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, 11000, Serbia
- fInstitute of Public Health of Serbia “Dr. Milan Jovanović Batut”, Belgrade, 11000, Serbia
- gFaculty of Medicine, University of Pristina-Kosovska Mitrovica, Kosovska Mitrovica, 38220, Serbia
Abstract
The aim of the paper is to present the oral health profile of 12- and 15-year-old schoolchildren in Serbia. Basic Methods for Oral Health Surveys of the WHO were implemented to record: Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth/Surfaces Index (DMFT/DMFS), gingival bleeding, enamel fluorosis and other structural anomalies, dental erosion, dental trauma, and oral mucosal lesions. In addition, Silness and Löe plaque index and orthodontic status were assessed. A total of 36% of 12-year-olds and 22% of 15-year-olds in Serbia were caries-free. The mean DMFT was 2.32 ± 2.69 for 12-year-olds and 4.09 ± 3.81 for 15-year-olds. DMFT was made up largely by the decayed component. Gingival bleeding was present in 26% of examined 12-year-old and 18% of 15-year-old children. Dental plaque was observed in 63% of both 12- and 15-year-olds. Fluorosis, structural anomalies, dental erosion, dental trauma, and oral mucosal lesion were rarely detected. Low prevalence of malocclusions was found. Oral disease is still a common public health problem among schoolchildren in Serbia. A significant increase in the prevalence of caries disease between 12- and 15-year-old groups implies that preventive care for adolescents requires special attention. Corrective actions and reforms to the current school-based oral health prevention program are needed to further improve oral health in Serbian children. © 2022 by the authors.
Indexed keywords
| GEOBASE Subject Index: | child healthdisease prevalencehealth carehealth monitoringhealth surveyoral healthpublic healthtoothyoung population |
|---|---|
| EMTREE medical terms: | adolescentArticlechildchild healthdental cariesdental erosiondental fluorosisdisease severityfemalegingiva bleedinggingivitishumanmajor clinical studymalemalocclusionoral mucosal diseaseprevalenceschool childSerbiatooth injurytooth plaquedental cariesDMF indexhealth |
| Regional Index: | Serbia |
| MeSH: | AdolescentChildDental CariesDMF IndexGingival HemorrhageHumansOral HealthPrevalenceSerbia |
Funding details
| Funding sponsor | Funding number | Acronym |
|---|---|---|
| 500-01-49-3/2019-07 |
-
1
This research was funded by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Serbia (document 500-01-49-3/2019-07).
- ISSN: 16617827
- Source Type: Journal
- Original language: English
- DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191912269
- PubMed ID: 36231568
- Document Type: Article
- Publisher: MDPI
Campus, G.; Department of Restorative, Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Dental Clinic, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland;
© Copyright 2022 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
Cited by 3 documents
(2025) International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry
(2024) Journal of Oral Science
(2023) Zdravstveno Varstvo