Vaikų dantų būklė ir mitybos įpročiai ikimokyklinio ugdymo įstaigoje ; Children’s dental health and nutrition habits in the preschool educational institution

The aim of the study: to evaluate preschool age children’s dental health and nutrition habits. Material and methods. The qualitative study was conducted: the case study, applying objective clinical assessment of children’s dental health and structured interview with children’s mothers. The research was attended by 10 preschool age children and their 10 mothers. The purposive sample of research participants was applied. Children’s dental health was identified by checking children’s teeth and calculating DMF and OHI-s (DI-s) indexes. Standardized interview contained questions about children’s and their mothers’ nutrition. Results. In the sample of investigated children oral hygiene is satisfactory (OHI-s (DI-s) index 1.3), caries intensity is low (DMF value of 2.5) but close to the limit of moderate caries intensity. The majority of investigated children often eat sweets, snacks, drink drinks containing carbohydrates. Children’s and their mothers’ daily drinks and nutrition habits are similar. Children of mothers who have healthier nutrition habits and drink water more often lso follow rational nutrition recommendations and drink water more often. Conclusions. Children with good oral hygiene (OHI-s (DI-s) index 0,5) and very low caries intensity (DMF value of 0) often drank water, ate healthy snacks, rarely ate sweets and drank sugary drinks, and followed rational nutrition recommendations.