Attitudes of orthodontic patients about their own oral health

Cilj: Procijeniti stavove i navike ortodontskih pacijenata o oralnom zdravlju, te kliničkim pregledom utvrditi klinički status usne šupljine ortodontskih pacijenata. Materijali i metode: Istraživanje temeljeno na anonimnoj i dobrovoljnoj anketi i provedeno je među pacijentima Ambulante za ortodonciju KBC-a Split. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo ukupno 50 ispitanika, starosti od 11 do 18 godina. Proveden je i klinički pregled usne šupljine i uvrđen je KEP indeks. Za statističku obradu podataka korišteni su statistički alati programa Microsoft Office Excel 2016, te online kalkulatora Social Science Statistics. Rezultati: Ortodontski pacijenti u najvećem postotku (82%) tvrde da zube peru barem dvaput dnevno. Svi koriste četkicu za zube kao sredstvo za pranje zubi, gotovo svi (98%) koriste i zubnu pastu. Od pomoćnih sredstava za čišćenje zuba najviše koriste zubni konac (40%). Čak 72% ispitanika nema dovoljno znanja o sastavu zubne paste koju koriste. Svog općeg stomatologa u posljednjih 6 mjeseci posjetilo je njih 72%, a većina (62%) je navela da je razlog posjeta bio redovni pregled / preventivni zahvat. Najčešća tegoba u usnoj šupljini bila je suhoća usta koju je imalo 40% ispitanika. Svaki dan svježe voće konzumira 38% ispitanika. Limunadu, Coca-Colu® ili neka druga gazirana pića svaki tjedan konzumira 62% ispitanika. Gotovo polovici (48%) ispitanika najbliži stomatolog je udaljen manje od 2 kilometra. Prosječni KEP indeks iznosi 3,48. Zaključak: Ispitanici se brinu o svome oralnom zdravlju, najmanje dvaput dnevno peru zube, redovito posjećuju svog stomatologa kako bi obavili preventivni pregled gdje saznaju informacije o oralnom zdravlju, ali nemaju dovoljno znanja o zubnim pastama. Dobar pokazatelj je prosječni KEP indeks (iznosi 3,48) koji je manji od prosječnog KEP indeksa (iznosi 4,18) u našoj državi.Objective: To assess the attitudes and habits of orthodontic patients regarding oral health, and to determine the clinical status of the oral cavity of orthodontic patients through a clinical examination. Materials and methods: The research was based on an anonymous and voluntary survey and was conducted among patients of the Orthodontics Outpatient Clinic of the University Hospital of Split. A total of 50 respondents, aged between 11 and 18, participated in the research. A clinical examination of the oral cavity was also performed, and the DMFT index was determined. The statistical tools of the Microsoft Office Excel 2016 program and the Social Science Statistics online calculator were used for statistical data processing. Results: The greatest percentage (82%) of orthodontic patients claim that they brush their teeth at least twice a day. All of them use a toothbrush, and 98% also use toothpaste. Dental floss is the most commonly used dental cleaning aid (40%). Even 72% of respondents do not know enough about the composition of the toothpaste they use. 72% of them have visited their general dentist in the last six months, and the majority (62%) stated that the reason for the visit was a regular examination / preventive procedure. The most common complaint regarding the oral cavity was dry mouth, which was experienced by 40% of respondents. 38% of respondents consumed fresh fruit every day. Lemonade, Coca-Cola®, or some other carbonated drinks are consumed by 62% of respondents every week. For almost half (48%) of the respondents, the nearest dentist is less than 2 kilometres away. The average DMFT index is 3.48. Conclusion: The respondents take good care of their oral health; they brush their teeth at least twice a day, and they visit their dentist regularly to have a preventive examination where they learn information about oral health, but they do not have enough knowledge about toothpaste. A good indicator is the average DMFT index (3.48), which is lower than the average DMFT index (4.18) in our country