Monitoring the quality of oral health among the population of schoolchildren
Introduction. Improvement of the quality of dental care is necessary for efficient prevention of oral diseases. The aim of this study was to analyze: the efficiency of the recommended work quality parameters in the Dental Health Care Service of the Health Center Zemun in 2014 and 2015; compare 7- and 12-year-olds in terms of having all healthy teeth and topical application of fluoride; presence of orthodontic anomalies in 12- and 14-year-olds, and assess the caries index (decayed-missing-filled teeth) in 12-year-old children. Material and Methods. The retrospective study included 7-, 12-, 14-, and 18-year-olds and assessed their oral health in 2014 (n = 4.317) and 2015 (n = 6.575). Results. A higher percentage of examinees kept their dental appointments in 2015 than in 2014 (82% and 60%, respectively). Out of 3.723 seven-year-olds, 36.6% had all healthy teeth, as well as 43.69% out of 3.170 of 12-year-olds. Out of 3.723 seven-year-olds, 65.26% had topical application of fluoride, as well as 78.73% out of 3.170 of twelve-year-olds. High percentages of orthodontic anomalies were found in both fourteen and eighteen-year-olds in 2015 (p<0.05). The average decayed-missing-filled teeth index in twelve-year-olds was 1.30 in 2014 and 1.68 in 2015. Conclusion. A higher percentage of all healthy teeth, and of topical application of fluoride in twelve-year-olds compared to the seven-year-olds, indicates that seven-year-olds keep their dental appointments more regularly, and consequently the prevention of oral diseases is more successful. Since the presence of orthodontic anomalies is high in both fourteen and eighteen-year-olds, and fewer children of both age groups respond to regular dental checkups, an intensified prevention of oral diseases is necessary in children.