12-åringars kunskap om karies, munhygienvanor, kostvanor samt erfarenhet av tobak

Sammanfattning: A tendency of impaired oral health has lately been seen among children and adolescents. The consumption of soft drinks and fruit juices is rising and at the same time many children and adolescents skip breakfast and lunch at school. That in combination with a frequent snacking increases the risk of caries. The aim of this study was to examine the knowledge of caries, oral hygiene- and dietary habits and experience of tobacco among 12-year-old schoolchildren. The study was performed in 5th grade in four different schools in the North East of Skåne in cooperation with the dental health board clinic in Näsby, Kristianstad. The study included 56 individuals who attended to the public dental health clinic in Näsby. The study showed that the 12-year-old schoolchildren had relatively good knowledge about caries prevention and good oral hygiene habits. Most of the respondents ate daily their lunch in school, while the intake of sweets and soft drinks were limited to once or twice a week. However, boys had a slightly more frequent intake of soft drinks compared to girls. Only a few individuals had tried tobacco (cigarettes or snuff). To prevent further impairment of the oral health among children and adolescents it is important that they receive knowledge of the correlation between diet and caries. In addition they need to understand the importance of a good oral hygiene and to be aware of the harm of tobacco.