Caries prevalence and risk factors for its development in urban and rural regions

Abstract

Introduction: Many socio-demographic indicators, apart from other risk factors, may lead to a multicausal disease, such as caries. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate dental health status in 12-year olds in urban and rural populations in Banja Luka and determine possible risk factors in their oral health behavior. Subjects and Methods: The study involved 496 children, 12-year-old pupils in primary schools in urban and rural regions of Banja Luka. Dental checkup was performed in classrooms at day light and using dental mirrors and probes. Caries prevalence was analyzed using the Klein-Palmer system to obtain the mean decayed teeth values for the two regions. The pupils filled in questionnaires about their socioeconomic status, motivation and knowledge on oral health as well as oral hygiene and dietary habits. Results: High mean decayed teeth values were obtained in the rural population of pupils (4.89 and 6.74). Questionnaire data showed statistically significant differences regarding dental visits, fluoride prophylaxis, the frequency of tooth brushing and the age when pupils started to maintain oral hygiene. Conclusion: 12-year olds have a large number of affected teeth, especially in the rural region. It is essential to implement oral health education programs aimed at improving oral health and eliminating the misbalance in dental health status in populations living in different socio-economic and demographic regions.