Medical visit reasons and influencing factors for 510 school-age children with dental diseases in an area of Xinjiang

ObjectiveTo analyze the reasons of seeking teeth medical treatment in children from a hospital in Xinjiang and to provide references for promoting the oral health of local children.

MethodsA total of 510 school-age children with dental diseases were investigated by questionnaires who visited the stomatology department from March 2017 to February 2018.They were divided into active or passive treatment groups.For analysis on the relationship between the causes of their visits, children′s oral hygiene habits and their family demographic sociology.

ResultsOf the 510 children, 50.78%(259/510) actively participated in treatment and care and 49.22%(251/510) passively.Of the active children, 64.09% participated in regular dental examination.And of the passive, 67.73% were treated or examined for dental problems such as toothache.There were statistical differences in teeth brushing time and tooth brush replacement cycle between active and passive groups (P < 0.05);and between the two groups, there were statistical differences in the visit causes of children from different sources (P= 0.01);there were statistical differences in the causes of visits, the history of children′s toothache and the distribution of children′s oral health self-evaluation (P < 0.001);there were statistical differences in the causes of visits and the distribution of their parents′ educational level (P < 0.01).

ConclusionTo improve children′s health, it is effective to focus on vulnerable populations, and promote oral health education and early prevention in vulnerable areas.