A research of 6 to 16 year old children has shown that the increasment of permanent teeth caries prevalence index occurs at every age period. The most significant change can be observed at the age of 6 to 7 years. The intensity of tooth caries increase in children of 6 to 7 years, 9 to 10 and 13 to14 years old. In all studied age periods the highest percentage of children with tooth caries was in groups of children with high anxiety (from 91,7% in Group I to 100% in Group II and III).
Oral hygiene of primary school children is worse than at secondary or high school children. However, a significant improvement in hygiene in elder children, comparing to secondary school children is not observable, which necessitates continuous tuition and control over oral hygiene in school-age children.
The hygienic status of children with caries is worse than that of children without caries and there is no significant improvement after individual cleaning, which indicates a lack of oral hygiene skills in this group of children.
The results of the clinical study and questionnaire of children showed that there is a direct correlation between caries activity and children anxiety during dental appointment (rs=0,19), visiting tutors (rs=0,14), and circlets (rs=0,18).
Caries in children of all the investigated age periods occurs and develops on the background of enamel acidity decreasement, mineralizing properties, salivation rate, pH of oral fluid and increase of its viscosity.
Children with caries have a direct correlation with the presence of general school fear (rs=0,18), fear of social contact with teachers (rs=0,14), fear of situations of knowledge examinations (rs=0,12).
Researches conducted by creating a kinetic family picture and its quantifying evaluation revealed a direct correlation (rs=0,28) with caries presence. During the study of kinetic pattern the following correlation dependences were revealed: direct with the index of untreated caries (rs=0,22), caries activity (rs=0,26), Green-Vermillion hygiene index (rs=0,15), TER (acid resistance) - (rs=0,17), oral fluid viscosity (rs=0,22), Spielberg anxiety level (rs=0,19), fear of social contact with peers (rs=0,20), low physiological resistance to school fears (rs=0,28); inverse relationship with salivation rate (rs=-0,14), pH (rs=-0,21), microcrystallization (rs=-0,13), fear of self-expression (rs=-0,12).
There is a direct correlation between caries activity and anxiety of a child during dental appointment, attending tutors and circlets. Family tension was not determined in 51,4% of children without caries and only in 22,1% of children with caries (pMU <0,001). Correlations between the development of caries and tension in the family (rs=0,27; p <0,001) and general school fear (rs=0,15; p <0,01) are observed. Correlation was less pronounced between process activity. Children who are capable to withstand school fears better (rs=-0,15; p <0,01) are more likely to visit a dentist for prophylactic purposes. Nowadays, children have a significant school load. But all this has no clear influence on the development of fears. There is a correlation between general school fear and the frequency of tutor attendance (rs=0,15; p<0,02). However, children who attent circlets and sports sections have higher physiological resistance to school fears (rs=-0,26; p<0,001 and rs=-0,13; p<0,05, respectively).
There is an interrelation between the frequency of appeals to a dentist and the presence of general school fear (rs=-0,13; p<0,05) i.e. bigger the fear, less dentist attendances. Greater the general school fear is, greater the anxiety during dentist attendance (rs=0,12; p<0,05). Low physiological resistance to school fears indicates that children do not look for dental help even in the case of a toothache. Children's anxiety to some extent affects the choice of oral hygiene tools and facilities.Some interrelations between anxiety in children and the behavioral characteristics of their parents were observed. Children`s general school fear correlated with the general anxiety of parents when visiting a dentist.
Considering archieved data an algorithm and schema of preventive measures aimed at improving efficiency of dental health care with children and their parents, taking into account the emotional state and anxiety in the family was created.
