DENTAL HEALTH OF CHILDREN IN A LARGE INDUSTRIAL CITY: PREVALENCE OF ORAL CAVITY PROBLEMS AND SOCIO-BEHAVIORAL DETERMINANTS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/pub.health.2026.1.8Keywords:
public health, dental health, children, socio-behavioral determinants, hygiene practices, preventionAbstract
Topicality. Children’s dental health is an important medical and social issue, since dental diseases are highly prevalent in childhood and affect children’s quality of life and psycho-emotional well-being. Of particular importance for strengthening children’s dental public health is the analysis of behavioral and social factors associated with the formation of dental health and preventive behavior.
Objective. To assess the prevalence of dental problems among children aged 6–18 years in the city of Dnipro and to identify socio-behavioral determinants associated with preventive behavior.
Materials and methods. A sociological survey of 236 children was conducted using the standardized methodology of the World Health Organization for self-assessment of dental health, preventive behavior, hygiene practices, and dietary habits.
Results. Most children assessed the condition of their teeth and gums as positive or satisfactory; 57.6% rated their gum condition as good or very good. At the same time, 20.8% of respondents had not visited a dentist during the previous 12 months. Teeth were brushed twice or more per day by 42.8% of children, whereas about 10% had irregular hygiene practices. Only 32.2% used fluoride toothpaste, and 46.6% did not know its composition, indicating low awareness of fluoride prevention. According to the rank correlation analysis, gum condition was associated with toothbrushing frequency, while oral pain was associated with sweet consumption and tobacco use.
Conclusions. Despite a relatively favorable self-assessment of dental health among children in a large industrial city, insufficient preventive activity, irregular hygiene practices, and low awareness of fluoride prevention were identified. The findings indicate the need to strengthen preventive measures aimed at improving children’s dental public health at the level of the family, educational institutions, and the community.
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