Introduction. The aim of the present study was to assess the oral health profile among a group of underprivileged children, enrolled in an institutional care center in Romania. Materials and methods. 38 children with mean age 13.07+/-2.63, 79% of them girls, were included in the study. The oral health knowledge and behavior were assessed by means of questionnaires. Clinical examinations were performed using mobile dental units. Results and disscusions. Even if most of the subjects declare tooth brushing twice a day (78.94%), only half of them choose both evening and morning as the time of the day, while 26.31% declare they never attended a dental check-up. Clinical examinations revealed a dental caries prevalence of 92.10% and a mean D3-6MDT value of 8.65±5.64, as a result of a high number of cavities and a low number of restorations. Conclusions. The children have unsatisfactory oral hygiene, needing increased curative, preventive treatments and educational necessities.
Keywords:- education.
- oral health profile
- treatment need
- vulnerable children