Čes. stomatol. Prakt. zub. lék. (Czech Dental Journal) 2002; 102(4): 140-145

Oral Health in Schoolchildren in the District of Frýdek-Místek in 1997 and 1999, I. part. Caries experience and dental status

Z. Broukal¹, L. Ryšavá², L. Bártová¹, J. Dušková¹, L. Mrklas¹

¹ Výzkumný ústav stomatologický VFN, Praha, přednosta doc. MUDr. O. Krejsa, CSc.

² Okresní hygienická stanice, Frýdek-Místek, přednosta RNDr. P. Hapala

The three year preventive intervention focused to the improvement of oral healthpreventive knowledge, behaviour and to the increase of intake of fluoridated salt and of other natural fluoride sources was conducted in the district of Frýdek-Místek in the North Moravian county of the Czech Republic. The intervention was composed of regular district-wide information spread by local journals, broadcast and TV and by lectures among school-children, their parents, pediatricians and dentists. Oral health status and urine fluoride content together with knowledge in fluoride prevention and eating habits related to fluoride intake were recorded in school-children in the onset (1997) and by the end (1999) of the intervention and data gained were compared. Altogether 240 6th to 8th graders of elementary schools in the district town and in three rural localities were included in the study. Oral health: Caries experience decreased inthree of four examined localities, in the city of Frýdek-Místek (mean DMFT2.92 vs. 1.90), Třinec (mean DMFT 2.73 vs. 1.94) significantly and in Jablunkov (4.10 vs. 3.75) non-significantly. In the remaining rural locality, Vratimov, the DMFT non-significantly increased (1.19 vs. 2.31). The three-years oral health and fluoride intake promoting intervention in the district of Frýdek-Místek improved significantly oral health and caries preventive knowledge in schoolchildren aged 12 to 14 years.

Keywords: fluoride; intervention study; oral health; school-children

Published: December 1, 2002  Show citation