Caries in children is one of the main dental problems that scientists are trying to solve [1, 2, 3]. A considerable number of methods of treatment and prevention of caries have been developed. However, the issue remains unresolved [4, 5]. Much efforts are devoted to the identification of general and local risk factors of caries appearance in children and the possibility of influence on them [6, 7]. Questionnaire is one of the forms of determining caries appearance factors [8]. This method of research allows to identify and compare the significance of factors observed in children and their parents. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to identify the possibility of predicting caries in preschool children according to questionnaires of surveyed children and their parents.
We performed survey and questionnaire of 223 children aged from 7 to 12 years. A questionnaire was also offered to the parents of these children. The examination of children was carried out in children’s organized collectives of Poltava. In all children the caries intensity was determined according to the following indices of df, DEF and DEF + def.
The quantitative indices obtained during the examination of patients were processed with standard methods of mathematical statistics. For the semi-quantitative and qualitative indices, the frequency tables were built. Since most of the indicators were semi-quantitative and qualitative, Spirman’s coefficient of pair correlation was determined for the analysis of the relationships of the studied parameters. The correlation coefficient was considered significant in the case of of error probability “p <0,05”. Discriminant analysis was conducted in order to determine the factors of classification. Numerous dependencies were observed between the revealed behavior features, habits, peculiarities of parents’ and children’s views concerning dental health surveyed and dental indices of the examined children.
Thus, the need for preventive examinations was documented by 87.5% of parents and 92.9% of children without caries and only 63.0% of parents and 74.1% of children with the highest degree of caries affection. The proportion of children who consumed carbonated beverages grew with the development of carious process. Anxiety was also noted more often in children with the high degree caries affection.
The received algorithms for analyzing the factors of caries development and the calculation of probability of child assignment to the each of four groups of caries affection provide an opportunity for preventive work with parents and children. According to the questionnaires of parents, it should be noted that there is a frequent underestimation of caries progression in comparison with the algorithms that consider the results of questionnaires of children, particularly, the group of children with low activity of carious process (almost 40% of children with caries). Therefore, it's better to consider data gained from children, rather than stay restrained parental questionnaire.
The performed research allowed to identify a group of factors that affect the appearance and development of caries in children. Among these factors (according to the questionnaires of children) the most important are: the amount of complaints about the state of hard tooth tissues, swell of gingiva, the number of toothbrush characteristics considered during its selection (the most important reducing risk factor), circles attending (the highest risk factor), consummation of carbonated beverages (the second most significant risk factor).
There are factors with the biggest impact on the appearance and development of caries in children (according to parents questionnaires): income; preventive examinations (the most important reducing risk factor); flossing (an important risk factor); parents' assistance during tooth brushing; toothpaste choice depending on the mechanism of their action; toothbrush choice considering its size and toothbrush head shape (the biggest risk factor); visits of sports sections by parents.
Prospects for further research. The obtained results lead to a more detailed study of peculiarities of the revealed factors influence in the development of caries in school-age children. This will be the next aim for the further research.
Influence of environmental factors оn children’s dental health
