Page 24 - Petelin Ana. Ur. 2022. Zdravje otrok in mladostnikov / Health of children and adolescents. Proceedings. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press
P. 24
avje otrok in mladostnikov | health of children and adolescents 24 Discussion
The findings of our study point to insufficient teeth cleaning, inadequate par-
ents’ help in brushing their children’s teeth, and ignorance of the benefits of us-
ing fluoride toothpaste.
Frequency of teeth cleaning
The most common method of removing plaque from the tooth surface is brush-
ing with a toothbrush. Systematic review of the relationship between age and
the beginning of tooth cleaning and the development of caries has not (yet)
been done, but there are many observational studies that report this (Verrips et
al., 1994; Hinds and Gregory, 1995; Vanobbergen et al., 2001; Wigen et al., 2018).
The results of a study conducted in Slovenia in 2018 (Jeriček-Klanšček et
al., 2019) showed that 70% of young people brush their teeth regularly. There
were significant differences between genders (girls brushed teeth more often).
The proportion of those who regularly brushed their teeth was highest among
17-year-old girls (81%) and lowest among 15-year-old boys (57%). The results of
our study, carried out in 2019, show similar, even slightly higher proportions of
young people of both genders who brush their teeth regularly.
Parents’ help in brushing their children’s teeth
Children cannot brush their teeth without help and should be assisted until
motor and mental functions allow them to adequately brush their teeth alone.
Since children’s coordination is different, there is no uniformly recommend-
ed age as to when children should be assisted with toothbrushing. However, it
is recommended to assist with toothbrushing at least until the child is about 6
or 7 years old (Oral Health Foundation, n. d.; WebMD, 2018; BDA, 2020; CDC,
2022), as the first permanent teeth erupt at this age.
Fluoride-containing toothpaste use
It is possible that the data on the fluoride content in toothpaste obtained from
parents and adolescents (who had the possibility to complete the questionnaire
themselves) were not reliable and that they did not know whether children/
adolescents were using fluoride-containing toothpaste. The European Acade-
my of Paediatric Dentistry (Toumba et al., 2019) and the American Academy
of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD, 2016) recommends brushing teeth with fluoride
toothpaste at least twice a day. At the same time, we should pay attention to the
appropriate concentration of fluorides according to the age of the child and the
amount of toothpaste children use daily when brushing their teeth.
Conclusions
The results of the »National Survey on Oral Health of Children and Adoles-�
cents in Slovenia in 2019« represent a step towards reducing the burden of den-�
The findings of our study point to insufficient teeth cleaning, inadequate par-
ents’ help in brushing their children’s teeth, and ignorance of the benefits of us-
ing fluoride toothpaste.
Frequency of teeth cleaning
The most common method of removing plaque from the tooth surface is brush-
ing with a toothbrush. Systematic review of the relationship between age and
the beginning of tooth cleaning and the development of caries has not (yet)
been done, but there are many observational studies that report this (Verrips et
al., 1994; Hinds and Gregory, 1995; Vanobbergen et al., 2001; Wigen et al., 2018).
The results of a study conducted in Slovenia in 2018 (Jeriček-Klanšček et
al., 2019) showed that 70% of young people brush their teeth regularly. There
were significant differences between genders (girls brushed teeth more often).
The proportion of those who regularly brushed their teeth was highest among
17-year-old girls (81%) and lowest among 15-year-old boys (57%). The results of
our study, carried out in 2019, show similar, even slightly higher proportions of
young people of both genders who brush their teeth regularly.
Parents’ help in brushing their children’s teeth
Children cannot brush their teeth without help and should be assisted until
motor and mental functions allow them to adequately brush their teeth alone.
Since children’s coordination is different, there is no uniformly recommend-
ed age as to when children should be assisted with toothbrushing. However, it
is recommended to assist with toothbrushing at least until the child is about 6
or 7 years old (Oral Health Foundation, n. d.; WebMD, 2018; BDA, 2020; CDC,
2022), as the first permanent teeth erupt at this age.
Fluoride-containing toothpaste use
It is possible that the data on the fluoride content in toothpaste obtained from
parents and adolescents (who had the possibility to complete the questionnaire
themselves) were not reliable and that they did not know whether children/
adolescents were using fluoride-containing toothpaste. The European Acade-
my of Paediatric Dentistry (Toumba et al., 2019) and the American Academy
of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD, 2016) recommends brushing teeth with fluoride
toothpaste at least twice a day. At the same time, we should pay attention to the
appropriate concentration of fluorides according to the age of the child and the
amount of toothpaste children use daily when brushing their teeth.
Conclusions
The results of the »National Survey on Oral Health of Children and Adoles-�
cents in Slovenia in 2019« represent a step towards reducing the burden of den-�
