The state of oral health and its impact on the quality of life of six-year-olds in the city area of Živinice

Abstract

Background: Oral health is the main indicator of general health, individual well-being, and quality of life. Oral health in children and adolescents is often reflected by the state of their dental hard tissues in a form of their previous caries experience. Poor oral health in children increases the likelihood of more complex dental treatment and emergencies, which can lead to absenteeism from school and reduced learning abilities, causing slowed physical development, and overall reduced oral health-related quality of life.

Aim: To determine the state of oral health and its influence on the overall quality of the life in six-year-olds in the city of Živinice.

Methods: The study participants were psychophysically healthy six-year-old children of both genders with residences in the urban and rural areas of the city of Živinice. Oral examinations were conducted according to the WHO Oral Health Survey manual. The previous caries experience indexes of primary teeth (dmft, SiC, pufa) were noted during clinical examinations of children, with a simultaneous filling of the POQL questionnaire by children's parents.

Results and Conclusion: The state of oral health of six-year-olds in the area of the city of Živinice was not on a satisfactory level. Analyzed oral health indexes were higher worldwide and national findings. High scores of all analyzed indexes indicated that oral health could have an impact on the quality of life and that these values are high in comparison to the given recommendations.

KEYWORDS: six-year-old children, dmft, pufa, SiC, POQL