Abstract:

The children treated under general anesthesia are mainly 3 groups: children with early childhood caries (ECC); anxious children and children with special health needs. The study aimed at establishing the oral hygiene level in a group of children treated under general anesthesia. Subject of monitoring are 395 children treated under general anesthesia, divided in 3 groups according to the age: 0-5 years; 5-12 years; 12-18 years. The assessment of oral hygiene status was done by using the Silness-Loe plaque index (PLI). Results: The difference between the three studied groups was statistically significant. In the first group (under 5 years aged children), the index is the lowest 1.41 ± 0.76, while the children in the third group – over 12 years of age are with the highest index 2.47 ± 0.69.The OHI index in the second group is 2.01 ± 0.78. Conclusion: The higher values of Silness-Loe plaque index in the three groups studied is due to the fact that children treated under general anesthesia are problematic as behavior and physical or mental health, which leads to neglecting of their oral hygiene. With increasing the age, it strengthens its influence one of the most important factors for the occurrence of the carious process – hygiene.