PREVALENCE AND QUALITY OF RESTORATIVE STRUCTURES OF PERMANENT TEETH IN CHILDREN FROM LOWLAND AND MOUNTAINOUS AREAS OF THE TRANSCARPATHIAN REGION OVER THE COURSE OF OBSERVATION
Authors: Klitynska O. V. , Bun O. V. , Gurando V. R. , Bun Y. I. 
Published: October 2024

Introduction: Treatment of invasive forms of caries involves the removal of demineralized hard tooth tissues and the restoration of anatomical integrity using various types of restorative materials. The choice and conditions of use of these materials have clear indications. However, the durability of restorative structures, even with strict adherence to the algorithm, is not always sufficient, especially among children living in areas with biogeochemical deficiencies.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence of fillings made from different restorative materials in the permanent teeth of children living in lowland and mountainous geographical areas of the Transcarpathian region and to determine the percentage of defects in restorative structures over time.
Methods: For the analysis, 525 medical records of dental patients (form 043) from two geographical areas of the Transcarpathian region were selected, specifically from Uzhhorod, University Dental Clinic LLC, and Rakhiv, the dental office of the Rakhiv District Hospital. The period of dental treatment covered was from 2018 to 2022. Paraclinical content analysis was performed to determine the number of direct and indirect restorative structures and to assess the occurrence of defects and their loss at 6 and 12 months post-treatment. Statistical probabilities and errors were determined using the computer program STATISTICA 6.1.
Results. The rates of patient visits for the restoration of indirect restorations of permanent teeth in children living in the mountainous zone differ from those in children from the lowland zone of residence significantly after 6 months (4.0%; 2.1%; p<0.05), and not significantly after 12 months (10.0%; 10.5%; p>0.05).  Comparing the incidence of defects, impaired fixation, or loss of various types of restorative structures in permanent teeth in children living in lowland and mountainous areas of the Transcarpathian region, it was found that the most common defects or loss of fillings made of glass ionomer cements occurred both after 6 and 12 months. The percentage distribution of the appearance of defects or loss of restorative structures made in the permanent teeth of children living in the mountainous zone from glass ionomer cements, light-curing composites on indirect restorations is 6 months (7.2%, 6.0%, 4.0%, p>0.05) and 12 months (16.3%, 11.1%, 10.0%, p>0.05). The differences are not significant. In the permanent teeth of children living in the low-lying area, the percentage of defects or loss of restorative structures made of glass ionomer cements, light-curing composites on indirect restorations is 6 months (6.7%, 4.4%, 2.1%, p<0.05) and 12 months (20.0%, 9.6%, 10.5%, p<0.05). The differences are significant.
Conclusions: Thus, when comparing the percentage of defects in various restorative structures and their loss in the permanent teeth of children living in the lowland and mountainous areas of the Transcarpathian region, no significant differences were found. Specifically, for glass ionomer cements, the defect percentages were 6.7% and 7.2% after 6 months (p > 0.05) and 20.0% and 16.3% after 12 months (p > 0.05). For direct composite restorations, the defect percentages were 4.4% and 6.0% after 6 months (p > 0.05) and 9.6% and 11.1% after 12 months (p > 0.05). For indirect composite restorations, the defect percentages were 2.1% and 4.0% after 6 months (p > 0.05) and 10.5% and 10.0% after 12 months (p > 0.05). This indicates that the differences in the percentage of defects between the lowland and mountain zones are not statistically significant for any of the types of restorative structures during the specified periods.