The dissertation is devoted to increasing the effectiveness of dental caries
prevention in children during the treatment of malocclusion with fixed orthodontic
appliances. The obtained results of the investigation made it possible to substantiate
the ways of enamel resistance increasing in children with malocclusion during
treatment with fixed orthodontic appliances, taking into consideration the levels of
enamel resistance and application of preventive means directed for dental caries
prevention by increasing enamel caries resistance.
On the basis of clinical examination of 1167 children aged 6-16 years, it was
established that the prevalence of malocclusion among the examined children, on
average, is 63.67±1.41%, while the prevalence of anomalies of individual teeth is
5.48±0, 67%, anomalies of dental arches - 41.30±1.44%, anomalies of occlusion -
32.65±1.37%.
The analysis of the examination results showed that, the prevalence of dental
caries of the permanent teeth in children with malocclusion is, on average,
79.27±1.49% with an intensity of 3.78±0.23 tooth, while in children without
malocclusion it is on 36.63% lower (58.02±2.40%, p<0.001) with an intensity value of
2.90±0.25 tooth, p<0.01.
The resistance of the hard tissues of the teeth to the carious process depends on
the enamel resistance. The results of the study show that caries-resistant enamel was
found in 34.32±1.74% of children with malocclusion, which is significantly less
compared to children with conditionally resistant and caries-susceptible enamel
10
65.68±1.74%, p<0.001). In the group of children without malocclusion, this difference
is slightly pronounced and amounts to 46.93±2.42% and 53.07±2.42%, respectively,
p>0.05. It was established that the least amount persons with caries-resistant enamel
was found among individuals with crossbite (25.64±4.94%), open bite (27.78±4.72%)
and distal occlusion (32.57±3.54%).
It was found that there is a relationship between caries resistance of enamel and
physical parameters of oral fluid. It was established that in children with cariesresistant enamel, higher pH values of oral fluid, lower indicators of its viscosity and
higher values of saliva secretion rate were found in comparison with children with
conditionally resistant and caries-susceptible enamel. On the other hand, for the
examined children with malocclusion and conditionally resistant and caries-susceptible
enamel, there were revealed the next characteristics: a significant decrease in the total
volume of oral fluid, a shift in the reaction to the acidic side, an increase in its viscosity,
and a decrease in the rate of saliva secretion. Such changes in the physical properties
of the oral fluid in children with malocclusion and conditionally resistant and cariessusceptible enamel are important in the pathogenesis of the dental caries development,
since in such conditions the function of the oral fluid changes from mineralizing to
demineralizing.
