Assessment of Oral Health in Children Aged 0-6 Years

Dental caries is one of the most common chronic diseases of early childhood. Dental caries in young children frequently leads to pain and infection necessitating hospitalization for dental extractions, sometimes under general anesthesia. The aim of the study was the assessment of the reasons for presenting to the dental practice and the oral health of children aged 0-6 years. The study comprised 97 patients in the preschool age (2-6 years), who for the first time ever reported in 2015 to the dental practice in a clinic in Tirana city. Half of the respondents did not exceed 5 years, mean age was 4.32 years. Girls accounted for 58 %, while boys accounted for 42 % of the participants. The main reason for reporting to the dentist was a check-up visit such an answer was given by 84 % of the parents surveyed, while the toothache was the cause of reporting for 16 % of the respondents. The dmf index equaling to 0 occurs more frequently in girls (31.0 %) than boys (13.0 %) (p=0.02). Implementation of an oral health program for children attending public nursery schools should be a high priority. Such a program should include not only preventive measures but also curative treatment of the affected primary teeth, in order to allow for permanent teeth to erupt under more favorable conditions.