Introduction. To analyze the association between caries experience and the eating and oral hygiene habits of some school children of Iaşi, Romania. Materials and methods. 232 first-grade students from 5 elementary schools of Iaşi were selected for the study. They filled in a questionnaire (response rate: 92.8%) and oral examination was made according to WHO criteria. Statistical analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between student’s oral health status and the responses given in the questionnaire. Results and discussion. Participants to the study show a high prevalence of dental caries (76.8%), which may be due to the fact that most of these children eat sweets and snacks, have poor oral hygiene habits, and extremely low rates of using dental health care products. Sanogenic behavior has been associated with caries experience in both sexes. Conclusions. The results obtained indicate the need for improved access to dental health care and education in every school, so that children can develop good oral hygiene habits.
Keywords:- caries
- oral hygiene
- sanogen behavior
- student.