First Permanent Molars as Indicators of Paediatric Oral Health: A Cross-Sectional Study of Visible Occlusal Plaque, Caries Experience and Treatment Need
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DENTAL HYGIENE, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1111/idh.70122
- Dergi Adı: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DENTAL HYGIENE
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Natural Science Collection (ProQuest), Biological Science Database (ProQuest), Biomedical Reference Collection: Corporate Edition (EBSCO), Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest)
- Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
- Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Introduction: First permanent molars (FPMs) are highly susceptible to plaque accumulation and dental caries due to their early eruption and complex occlusal morphology. This study aimed to investigate the associations between visible occlusal plaque, dental caries status, treatment needs, oral hygiene and age in schoolchildren. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 329 children aged 5-12 years from a public school. Intraoral examinations assessed dental caries experience using the Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth (DMFT) and decayed and filled teeth (dft) indices, oral hygiene using the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S), including the Debris Index-Simplified (DI-S) and Calculus Index-Simplified (CI-S), plaque accumulation using the Visible Occlusal Plaque Index (VOPI) and treatment needs using the Treatment Need Index (TNI). Multinomial logistic regression and Kendall's tau correlation analyses were performed to evaluate associations among the study variables. Results: The mean age of the participants was 7.47 +/- 1.56 years. The mean dft and DMFT scores were 5.29 +/- 3.37 and 1.17 +/- 1.49, respectively. The prevalence of untreated visible cavitated carious lesions was higher in mandibular FPMs (41.8% in left FPMs and 40.7% in right FPMs) than in maxillary FPMs (32.0% in left FPMs and 29.5% in right FPMs). Higher OHI-S scores were consistently associated with higher VOPI categories across all FPMs, particularly for VOPI 2 and VOPI 3 categories (OR range: 9.75-33.52; all p < 0.001). Higher DMFT scores were also significantly associated with higher VOPI categories in multiple regression models (p = 0.018 to p < 0.001). Significant positive correlations were observed between VOPI, OHI-S and TNI scores (all p < 0.001). Regression models demonstrated moderate explanatory performance, with Nagelkerke R-2 values ranging from 40.7% to 47.8%. Conclusion: Visible occlusal plaque in FPMs was associated with poorer oral hygiene, higher caries experience and increased treatment needs in schoolchildren. These findings highlight the importance of preventive strategies and effective plaque control measures for improving paediatric oral health outcomes.