Open AccessОral hygiene and fluoride influence on dental health in early childhood
Author(s) -
Olga Kokoceva-Ivanovskа
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
arhivi na javnoto zdravje
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1857-7148
DOI - 10.3889/aph.2021.5997
Subject(s) - oral hygiene , dentistry , deciduous teeth , fluoride , medicine , hygiene , orthodontics , chemistry , inorganic chemistry , pathology
Early childhood caries occurs immediately after the eruption of deciduous teeth. During this period, children are too young to be able to properly implement oral hygiene. Consequently, it is at a negligible level, with plenty of soft plaque on the deciduous tooth surfaces. The objective of this investigation was to determine the correlation between oral hygiene (shown with the OHI index) and the initial stages of early childhood caries: initial lesion (white spot) and superficial form, before and after local fluoride treatment. Material and methods: For determining the OHI index among our examinees we used the method of Green-Vermillion. It was determined in 117 examinees twice, during the first visit and immediately before physiological replacement of deciduous teeth. Patients were two to three years of age, diagnosed with initial stages of early childhood caries and fluoride preparate (amino fluoride solution) was applied once a week, for 6 months. Results: In 30 subjects treated with local fluoride treatment from both basic groups (with initial and superficial lesions), just before the physiological change of the teeth, we received a statistically significant improvement in the OHI index (p = 0.000038; p = 0.00006) at the end from the examination. Conclusion: From the conducted analysis of the obtained results, we can conclude that the level of oral hygiene is correlated with the progression of changes in the enamel. Oral hygiene and fluoride treatment significantly reduce soft tissue levels and improve the OHI index.