DENTAL-CARIES AND ORAL HEALTH BEHAVIOR SITUATION OF CHILDREN, MOTHERSAND SCHOOLTEACHERS IN WUHAN, PEOPLES-REPUBLIC-OF-CHINA

This study was undertaken in order to describe the occurrence of denta l caries in Chinese schoolchildren and to highlight the oral health be haviour situation, Clinical examinations of grade 1 children (age 6, n =381) and grade 6 children (age 12, n=413) were performed. At age 6, 8 6 per cent of the children were affected by dental caries and at age 1 2 the mean DMFT index was 1.0. Personal interviews with the mothers (n =691) showed that dental fare habits of children were poor; 22 per cen t of: all children brushed their teeth twice a day and 20 per cent had seen the dentist within the past 12 months. Very few children (4 per cent) had practical support from their parents in daily toothcleaning. Self-administered questionnaires for schoolteachers (n=138) revealed that most (85 per cent) are positive towards oral health education of children. Systematic school-based programmes should be implemented to promote oral health.