RESULTS OF SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY OF JUNIOR SCHOOLCHILDREN – PATIENTS OF ORTHODONTIST OF CHILDREN’S DENTAL POLYCLINICS

The importance of the chosen topic is associated with high prevalence of dentofacial anomalies in schoolchildren requiring orthopedic treatment, and with the necessity to develop and introduce adequate measures for prevention of this pathology in conditions of children's municipal dental polyclinic. These measures should be of complex character and should take into account not only the objective orthodontic status of children, but also their way of life and living conditions, the quality of life of families, awareness of parents and their subjective satisfaction with rendered orthodontic care, for subsequent involvement of dentists of other profiles, school teachers, children and their parents into the prophylactic work. Aim. The aim of study: to create a social portrait of families with children – patients of orthodontists of a municipal dental polyclinic, on the basis of sociologic study of these families, and identify the main reasons for subjective dissatisfaction of parents with the rendered specialized dental care for subsequent use of the obtained information for planning and realization of complex prophylactic measures – at home, at school, in a profile outpatient institution. Materials and methods. The tested objects were families with children of 6-10 years of age (representative sampling was 131 families) who referred to a municipal children's dental polyclinic (chosen as the clinical base for the given study) for dental care. Sociological study was conducted by survey using author's questionnaire containing more than 70 questions covering all sides of everyday life of a junior schoolchild and his/her family, and also certain aspects of organization of orthodontic care. Results. In conclusion, the social portrait of the family was compiled, generalized characteristics of parents were given, and the main reasons of subjective dissatisfaction of parents with orthodontic care rendered to junior schoolchildren in children's profile outpatient care institution, were identified.