The dependence of dental caries on oral hygiene habits in preschool children from urban and rural areas in Poland.

INTRODUCTION: Dental caries is considered to be a modern civilization disease;however, the state of oral health negatively influences psychological and sociological relations in children which leads to feelings of discomfort from early age. OBJECTIVE: The aim of study was evaluation of the association between incidence of dental caries (d3ft index) in preschool children from urban and rural areas, and determining the relationship between dental caries intensity and hygienic habits. MATERIALS AND METHOD: 844 children aged 3-6 years from the city and the countryside were examined. The survey was conducted among parents/care givers regarding dental care of children. With parents' consent, the children had a dental examination. RESULTS: The incidence of caries was recorded at the level of 52.61%, with an average value of 4.31 on the d3ft index; however, for the children from the urban area this ratio amounted to 4.15, and in the countryside it reached the value of 4.7. A correlation was found between age and area of residence of the children and various components of hygienic behavior model. CONCLUSIONS: More than a half of the children had dental caries in combination with a high frequency of unsatisfactory hygiene needs. There is a relationship between oral hygiene habits and age of the children, depending on the place of residence.