LEVEL OF ORAL HYGIENE IN CHILDREN DURING THE FIRST PERIOD OF MIXED DENTITION

Abstract

During the first period of mixed dentition, when secondary dentition processes begin, children have a certain feeling of discomfort in their oral cavity, as well as pain during personal oral care procedures. This, in turn, causes gentler cleaning that contributes to dental deposits and development of caries. Studies of oral cavity condition in children during the first period of mixed dentition have shown that level of hygiene in children with caries is always worse than in children without caries irrespectively of their age or sex. A better mouth hygiene index is observed in children aged between 7 and 9, which is explained by the improvement of manual skills in older children. Girls brush their teeth more properly, which is confirmed by a higher level of their oral hygiene compared to boys.

Keywords

• children, oral cavity, hygiene, caries, mixed dentition.