Caries in children. The incidence study

Abstract

Introduction: Actuality of the subject is determined by the growing incidence of dental caries, by its severity, by local and general complications that occur. Dental caries by its progressive and irreversible evolution is the most common cause of morphofunctional imbalance of the components of the stomatognathic system. Caries diagnosis, apparently simple, sometimes proves to be difficult. Purpose: To evaluate caries incidence in children and to increase the diagnostic efficiency during prophylactic examinations. Material and methods: To achieve the established purpose, 89 schoolchildren from theoretical high school in Zimbreni, Ialoveni were included in the study. Mean age of patients within the study was 14,37 ± 0,9 years with a range between 12 and 16 years. The total cohort of patients comprised 37 boys (41,57%) and 52 girls (58,43%). Examination was performed according to the WHO methodology, by direct and indirect inspection using a dental mirror and by palpation with a dental probe. Clinical examination by inspection was, in some cases, insufficient to establish the diagnosis of proximal caries. In cases of the enamel color change or undermining of the marginal ridge, a complementary examination method was applied using the floss - sign of the floss. Inspection findings and observations were recorded in dental health records. Results: Of the 89 examined subjects, 77 schoolchildren (86,52% of cases) had dental caries in permanent teeth. Examination of subjects by direct and indirect inspection with a dental mirror and dental probe allowed determining caries in pupils (97,4% of cases). Combination of clinical and complementary examination through the method of the floss sign allowed establishing diagnosis of dental caries in 2 pupils (2,6% of cases). Conclusions: 1. Incidence of dental caries in children aged 14,37 ± 0,9 years is high and constitutes 86,52% in the study. 2. Increasing the efficiency of caries diagnosis within the prophylactic examinations requires combining clinical examination with additional tests, through the floss sign, which allowed definitive diagnosis in 2,6% of cases.