ORAL HEALTH PROFILE, KNOWLEDGE AND BEHAVIOUR IN A GROUP OF PRESCHOOLERS – A PILOT STUDY

摘要

In the field of community dentistry, when talking about, it is aimed at translating attitudinal change into behavior, the ultimate goal being to change unhealthy habits, especially at early stages of life. The objective of the study is to assess the oral healt status, the knowledge and behavior among a group of 73 preschool children from Bucharest. A questionnaire recommended by WHO was administered, an oral health education lesson was presented and a clinical examination was performed. The results are presented comparatively, before and after the oral health education lesson. After the education lesson, certain messages were understood and retained by the preschoolers, namely: the frequency of brushing, the fluoride content of the toothpaste, the fact that sticks and pastries that are not healthy for teeth. Regarding the consumption of sweets, 80% of the children (compared to 60% initially, p <0.05) choose to reduce consumption as a prevention method. Conclusions: results demonstrate an unhealthy dental visits behavior and a relatively low level of knowledge regarding dental prevention. The values of the primary caries indices are increased, the presence of non cavited lesions and the lack of sealents are also noted, which demands increased preventive and curative dental treatment needs. There is a need to implement preventive and oral health promotion programs in preschool children communities.