title: [The state of oral health in children at the age of 12 in Montenegro].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Oral health is very important for the function and the quality of human life. The aim of this study was to determine the spread of caries on the permanent teeth, the state of health of the periodontium and the state of oral hygiene in the children at the age of 12 in Montenegro.
  
  
  METHODS
  The research was carried out within 2006 and included 455 primary school pupils of both sex, the age of 12 in the northern, midlle and southern area of Montenegro. The parameters used to estimate oral health condition were: mean number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth due to caries (DMFT), Significant Caries Index (SiC), Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN), presence of sealants, and to estimate oral hygiene condition: Debris Index (Green-Vermillion) and Calculus Index (Green). A dental team clinically examined all the subjects in line with World Health Organization (WHO) methodology and criteria. All chosen children from the sample were checked by the standard dental diagnostic equipment (plane dental mirror, dental, standard CPITN periodontal probe) under the artificial light on the dry teeth, on the dental chair.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average value of Index DMFT at 12-year-old in Montenegro was 3.43. On average, 88.35% of the examined children had dental caries. The SiC Index was 6.35. Among the examined children, 11.9% had at least one tooth with a fissure sealant. The healty periodontium had 64% of the 12-year-old children. The average value of Debris Index was 1.086, and the average value of Calculus Index was 0.6508.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral health condition in children at the age of 12 in Montenegro does not satisfy. Thus the importance of the modern preventive measures and programmes should be emphasized and applied through the system of primary oral protection and intensively promote oral health.
authors: Medicinski fakultet, Studijski program stomatologije, Podgorica, Crna Gora. miradjurickovic@gmail.com
authors: Mirjana
authors: M
authors: Djuricković
authors: Mirjana
authors: M
authors: Ivanović
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D054548:Montenegro / Q000453:epidemiology; D009909:Oral Health