Objectives: To evaluate oral health conditions and determine risk factors of dental caries of adolescents living in social care homes in the South of Lithuania and to compare the results with adolescents of the same age in general population.
Materials and methods: Subjects of study are 12 and 15 year-old adolescents from all social care homes and 3 schools of Alytus county, Marijampole county and Vilnius city. 55 adolescents living in social care homes (study group) and 55 adolescents living outside social risk families (control group) were clinically examined between February and September of 2019. The clinical study assessed: 1) the prevalence and incidence of caries using the decayed-missing-filled teeth (DMFT) index, 2) the oral hygiene status using the Silness and Loe index, 3) the salivary buffer capacity using Ivoclar Vivadent CRT Buffer indicators. The R-package was used for statistical analyses. Threshold for statistical significance set at p<0.05.
Results: Prevalence and incidence of caries in study group was higher compared with adolescents of the same age in general population - prevalence 81.82 % and 69.1 %, respectively, DMFT medians 3 and 1, respectively. Social living environment, age or gender were not statistically significant determinants for oral hygiene or salivary buffer capacity. The correlation between oral hygiene and DMFT indices was statistically significant. Both - oral hygiene and salivary buffer capacity - fit into linear regression model and were statistically significant.
Conclusions: Adolescents, living in social care homes, were found to have poorer oral health with higher prevalence of caries than those living in families. Poor oral hygiene and low salivary buffer capacity have been identified as significant risk factors for the development of caries.