Survey on oral health of 12-year-old children in Guoluo Prefecture， Qinghai Province

Objective To determine the oral health， related knowledge and behavior of 12-year-old children in Guoluo Prefecture， Qinghai Province， and provide scientific evidence for policy-making of oral health programs.

Methods Six counties were selected by using a multi-stage and stratified sampling strategy. Oral health examination and survey questionnaire were performed according to the instructions of the Fourth National Oral Epidemiology Study. The oral health examination included dental caries and periodontal status. The questionnaire investigated oral health knowledge and behavior.

Results The prevalence of caries was 71.6% （288/402）and their DMFT was 2.04±1.90. Approximately 1.2% of deciduous teeth were filled. In the children， 81.3% （327/402） had teeth brush every day， while only 42.0% （169/402） brushed twice or more per day. Moreover， 10.2% （41/402） used fluoride toothpaste； in contrast， 62.2% （250/402） did not use toothpaste appropriately. In addition， the survey on dietary habits showed that 41.3% of the children consumed sweetened food once or more per day.

Conclusion Oral health education should be further strengthened to promote oral health in children.