COMPARATIVE PECULIARITIES OF ORAL HYGIENE INDICES IN CHILDREN OF PRIMARY SCHOOL DEPENDING ON DENTAL HEALTH
Authors: Kaskova L.F. , Popyk K.M. , Ulasevych L.P. 
Published: January 2019

A study of oral hygiene condition in primary school children based on Fedorov-Volodkina index has revealed that children do not clean their teeth properly enough and the average indicator of the studied group is unsatisfactory. The study based on children’s age indicates that the best oral hygiene condition is found in children aged 9 (satisfactory), whereas the worst – in children aged 8 (unsatisfactory). This, in our opinion, is due to the period of frontal teeth eruption and the discomfort associated with such process. Children clean the frontal area not properly. As children grow older, their personal hygiene skills improve as evidenced by the findings of comparing 6- and 9-year-olds’ indices (р<0.05). It was determined that each child’s index by Green-Vermillion and obtained results allows assessing the condition of oral cavity and cleaning skills.

It has been identified significant differences in the oral hygiene condition in children who suffer from caries and in children with healthy teeth. Thus, before teeth brushing 6-year-old children without caries had unsatisfactory oral hygiene condition, children with caries –poor oral hygiene condition, 7-year old children – unsatisfactory one, 8-year-old children – unsatisfactory and poor, 9-year-old children – satisfactory and unsatisfactory respectively. The poorest oral hygiene condition was observed with 6-year-olds with caries.

It has been assessed that dental tartar based on the studied indices. The study has revealed insufficient oral hygiene of the frontal and lateral jaw areas in children of primary school. This phenomenon creates cariogenic situation in the oral cavity.

Having studied oral hygiene condition in children, it was offered by us to brush teeth with the toothbrush and toothpaste which they use at home. They brushed their teeth under the supervision, but without dentist’s management. Observed results were described in this paper. After brushing, oral hygiene condition has been studied again.

When assessing Fedorov-Volodkina index, it was not observed any improvement of the index after teeth brushing in children without caries. In 6-, 7-, and 8-year-old children oral hygiene was unsatisfactory, whereas in 9-year-old children it was satisfactory. Oral hygiene improvement was observed in children who have caries. In 6-year-old children – from poor to unsatisfactory, in 7-, 8-, and 9-year-old children it remained at the same unsatisfactory level, but hygiene index indicators probably decreased (р<0.05). The findings indicate that children with caries do not pay attention to oral hygiene, whereas teeth brushing improve the studied index.

Green-Vermillion index enables to determine oral hygiene condition in frontal and lateral jaw areas. After individual teeth brushing this hygiene index values slightly improve compared to original values, however, no significant difference in hygiene level was identified. Findings from studying various hygiene indices indicate that children with caries pay attention to brushing frontal jaw area and absolutely no attention to brushing lateral jaw areas with first permanent molars that have recently erupted, and they are not enough mineralized, and are prone to caries at this age. This encourages a study of teeth brushing skills of children of primary school using the suggested form of child oral hygiene skills followed by development of oral hygiene recommendations for the children of this age group with parental involvement.