Status of the oral health by the seventh Grade students in the Bosnian-Podrinje canton

Introduction: As documented information about the oral health status for children of Bosnian Podrinje canton Gorazde does not exist, there was a need for an assessment of oral health status in this region for the creation of preventive programme, whose purpose would be a reduction of incidence of dental caries, periodontal conditions, as well as orthodontic anomalies in the future. The purpose of this work is to show the prevalence of dental caries, periodontal conditions and the presence of orthodontic anomalies in the seventh grade students in the Bosnian-Podrinje Canton. Examinees and working methods: In three munici¬palities of the Bosnian-Podrinje Canton, 358 students born in 1997 and 1998 have been examined during 2010. Parameters used to establish the status of the oral health were the following indexes: DMFT, SiC, CPI and DAI-index for registering orthodontic irregularities. One dentist examined all the examinees in accordance with the method¬ology and criteria set by the World Health Organization, i.e. a regular dentist mirror and standard periodontal probe have been used in daylight avoiding direct sun light. Results: average DMFT value in the seventh grade children was 5.84 ± 3.929, SiC index was 10.34 ± 3.028, whereas the caries prevalence was 96.09%. 45.5% examinees had healthy periodontal conditions. Average DAI-index value was 25.25. Conclusion: the status of the oral health in the seventh grade children in the Bosnian-Podrinje Canton is very poor. Prevention programmes and oral health promotion are necessary.