[Life-styles determining the oral health of adolescents in Vitoria (Gasteiz):and evaluation].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the factors determining oral health in adolescents in school at Vitoria (Gasteiz).Design. Descriptive epidemiological study.


METHODS
Randomised representative sample of 1,380 students from public and private schools. Setting. Vitoria (Gasteiz). MAIN MASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: A questionnaire on bucco-dental health was self-administered. 41.9% of the adolescents brushed their teeth three times or more a day (2.2 ( 0.98 times a day), with greater frequency in girls. 64% never used dental floss, and 30% did so only at times. 88.1% did not complement their oral hygiene with mouth-washes. Consumption of commercial cakes and pastries was 0.74 ( 1.12 times a day; and of sweets, 1.58 ( 3.15 times a day. 81.9% of the adolescents valued their mouth and dental health the same as the health of other organs of their bodies. 63.5% did not know whether any compound was added to the water as a preventive measure against dental disease; and 83.2% of those who thought something was added did not know what compound it was. 66.7% had been to the dentist during the previous year; 28.2% had not been for over a year.


CONCLUSIONS
The oral health habits of adolescents in Vitoria (Gasteiz) show deficiencies that could be corrected through Health Education Programmes and promotion of the use of preventive dental services.
Lafuente
P J
PJ
Departamento de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Púlica, Facultad de Medicina y Odontología, Universidad del País Vasco-Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Spain.
Pérez De Mendiola
F J Gómez
FJ
Aguirre
B
B
Zabala Galán
J
J
Irurzun Zuazabal
E
E
Gorritxo Gil
B
B
D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009909:Oral Health; D013030:Spain