DENTAL CARIES IN CHILDREN OF POLTAVA BEFORE AND DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF WAR (retrospective analysis over 20 years)

Abstract

Due to the military conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic, Ukraine and the city of Poltava are facing challenges in medical services, including dentistry. Analyzing the dynamics of caries treatment in children in Poltava before and during the war is crucial for assessing the impact of wartime on the municipal dental care system. The aim of this study is to analyze the dynamics of caries treatment in children based on annual reports from the Municipal Pediatric Clinical Dental Polyclinic before and during the wartime. A retrospective analysis of the statistical reporting of the Municipal Pediatric Clinical Dental Polyclinic for the years 2002, 2012, and 2018-2022 was conducted. During the analysis, annual indicators of the Polyclinic were studied, including the total number of visits, number of primary visits, number of treated teeth due to caries and its complications in temporary and permanent teeth. Calculations included the average number of visits per person, the proportion of complicated caries in temporary and permanent teeth, and the quality indicator of complicated caries treatment. The study revealed a 51.43% decrease in clinic visits over the last 20 years. In 2022, there was a sharp increase in primary visits to 24,655, possibly due to internally displaced children. The number of filled permanent teeth increased by 25% in 2022 compared to 2021. The proportion of complicated caries in temporary teeth significantly rose from 0.23 to 0.84 from 2002 to 2022. Additionally, there was a 25% increase in the absolute values of the quality indicator of complicated caries treatment in temporary teeth from 2002 to 2012 and a 12% increase up to 2022, indicating a rise in the number of cases of treating complicated caries in temporary teeth by extraction. These findings highlight the need for further research on the war's impact on the prevalence of caries and its complications in the pediatric population. This research is crucial for developing effective strategies for the prevention and treatment of dental diseases.