DIFFERENCES BETWEEN 12-YEAR-OLDS DENTAL STATUS IN URBAN AND RURAL EAST MACEDONIA

Abstract

Inequalities exist in oral health service,access,oral health knowledge, practices and prevalence of oral diseases. Rural areas are often associated with lower education levels, people are poorer, less healthliterate, have more caries, have fewer teeth and have less money to spend on dental care compared to people living in urban areas.

Aim: To identify differences in dental status and knowledge about sealants between rural and urban 12- year-olds in East Macedonia in order to evaluate the National preventive program (2007- 2014).

Method: Cross sectional surveys used cluster sampling and recorded DMFT. A total of 328 children aged 12-year- old were examined in 2007 and 313 in 2014, of both sexes from state schools across 3 regions in East Macedonia. Both urban and rural areas with contrasting socio-economic groups participated in the study. A calibrated dental team clinically examined and personally interviewed all the subjects in line with WHO recommendations. The sample was examined using standard dental diagnostic equipment (plane dental mirror, dental probe) under artificial light on dry teeth in a dental chair. Results were analysed by means of descriptive statistics. Ethical approval for the study was part of the National preventive program.

Results: In urban 12-year-olds the 2007 DMFT was 4.27, while in rural areas it was 4.41. By 2014, in urban areas DMFT was 1.89, and in rural areas 1.65. More urban children knew about fissure sealing 95 (61.8%) and the appropriate time for sealing 96 (62.3%), than their rural counterparts, 77/83 (48.4% /52.2%).

Conclusion: There is an apparent trend of decreasing DMFT following implementation of the National prevention program. Also, there are no significant differences between DMFT among children from urban and rural areas because of equal implementation of the preventive measures from the National program throughout Macedonia. However, intensive application of preventive measures is still needed so that there is even further improvement in oral health among 12-year-olds in East Macedonia.

The authors wish to thank Coordinative Body for implementing and monitoring of National preventive program for children in The Republic of Macedonia, for assistance in determining the analytic strategy and helpful comments.