A comparison of oral status of the fourth-year students of various colleges at the University of Zagreb/Usporedba oralnog statusa studenata cetvrte godine razlicitih fakulteta Sveucilista u Zagrebu

Objectives: To compare oral status of the fourth-year students of the School of Dental Medicine, and other fourth year students from the University of Zagreb. Materials and methods: Research included 78 dental students and 78 students of other colleges of the University of Zagreb. A standard dental check-up was performed following the WHO-prescribed methodology and criteria, and by using a dental mirror and community periodontal index (CPI) probe. Results: Mean DMFT of all examined subjects was 7.97 (s.d. = 4.48), with a higher value for males than females (p =0.043). The dental students had a mean DMFT of 6.96 (s.d. =4.82) and the non-dental students group DMFT of 8.97 (s.d. =3.88). This difference was statistically significant (p =0.005). Average CPI indices difference of the examined groups (dental students--1.91, s.d. =2.40; non-dental students - 2.99, s.d. =2.23) was also statistically significant (p=0.001). The majority of non-dental students (66%) needed, in addition to preventive measures, a conservative dental treatment, in contrast to the dental-students group, where 83% required only preventive or no dental treatment at all. Conclusions: Although the incidence of dental caries, periodontal diseases and treatment need is lower in dental students, the relatively high value of DMFT indices in both groups indicates the need for better preventive measures. Due to an inherent increased awareness of oral health and preventive measures, the dental students could set a good example to their fellow-students of other colleges. Key words DMFT; Students; CPI; Treatment Need Svrha: Svrha istrazivanja bila je usporediti oralni status studenata cetvrte godine Stomatoloskog fakulteta te studenata cetvrte godine ostalih fakulteta Sveucilista u Zagrebu. Ispitanici i postupci: Istrazivanjem je bilo obuhvaceno 78 studenata stomatologije i 78 njihovih kolega s ostalih fakulteta Sveucilista u Zagrebu. Pregledi su obavljeni prema metodologiji i kriterijima SZO-a (WHO-a) stomatoloskim zrcalom, a parodontoloskom sondom Community periodontal index (CPI). Rezultati: Prosjecna vrijednost KEP-indeksa svih ispitanika bila 7,97 (s.d.= 4,48), a bila je veca kod muskaraca negoli kod zena (p=0,043). Studenti stomatologije imali su prosjecan KEP 6,96 (s.d.=4,82), a oni s ostalih fakulteta 8,97 (s.d.=3,88), sa statisticki znacajnom razlikom (p =0,005). Prosjecan CPI statisticki se znacajno razlikovao (p=0.001) i kod studenata stomatologije je iznosio 1,91 (s.d.=2,40), a kod ostalih