| Abstract [eng] |
Relevance of the problem. Dental and oral mucosal diseases such as caries and periodontal diseases are one of the most common health problems in the world. The prevention of these diseases is associated with individual oral hygiene care - knowledge about preventive measures and frequency of use. Since mentioned diseases is also very common in Lithuania, to educate the public about prevention, it is necessary to find out what knowledge is missing. Aim of the work. To evaluate the knowledge about individual oral care, to analyse the prevalence of the use of these tools and to subjectively assess the impact on oral health in groups of persons aged 16-34, 35-54 and 55 or older. Material and methods. The research was conducted using an anonymous online survey that was placed on the “Google Forms” platform in 2022 November 15 - 2023 February 28. 133 participants took part in the study, selection methods were not applied. The SPSS 29.0 version of the statistical data analysis package was used for statistical data analysis. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the hypothesis about the associations between the three groups. A difference was considered statistically significant at p < 0.05. Results. Statistically significant differences were found between the youngest and oldest groups when assessing knowledge about the signs of gingivitis and comparing the frequency of using chewing gum or pastilles with xylitol. The oldest group had more knowledge, while the youngest used the mentioned preventive measure more often. A significant difference was also found between these age groups when comparing the number of people who had decayed teeth or lost at least one permanent tooth - there were fewer of them in the youngest group. Significantly fewer of the youngest lost at least one permanent tooth compared to the middle-aged group. A statistically significant association was also observed between the use of one toothbrush, floss, oral irrigator and mouthwash and better oral health. Conclusions. All age groups have similar knowledge about individual oral hygiene, except for knowledge about bleeding gums, which was best known by the oldest group. All groups use preventive measures with a similar frequency, except for the youngest group, which uses chewing gum or pastilles with xylitol more than other groups. The youngest group has the fewest missing teeth, compared to people aged 55 and older, this group also has significantly less caries-damaged teeth. More frequent use of one toothbrush, dental floss, mouth irrigator and mouthwash results in better oral health. |
