ASSESSMENT OF THE LEVEL OF ORTHOPEDIC DENTAL CARE FOR SERVICEMEN OF THE ARMED FORCES OF UKRAINE

Abstract

An analysis of the level of dental health of military personnel using a questionnaire showed a low frequency of visits to a dentist, low motivation to maintain their own dental health, and an insufficient level of hygienic knowledge regarding primary prevention measures for the development of major dental diseases. Improving dental care, specific methods of prevention and treatment of military personnel, including dental prosthetics, are necessary from the standpoint of preserving their combat readiness, and must take into account specific living conditions, the peculiarities of the military profession, as well as factors that influence the course of pathological processes in the maxillofacial region, in particular, the level of orthopedic dental care. The aim of the study – to assess the level of orthopedic dental care for servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Materials and Methods. The study is based on the results of a clinical dental examination of 348 servicemen of the Ternopil Zonal Department of the Military Law Enforcement Service. Results and Discussion. The dental status was assessed from the perspective of the need to provide orthopedic care to military personnel. In particular, occlusal disorders, the type and number of existing orthopedic structures, and the need for the manufacture of basic types of dentures for the full restoration of chewing function in patients were determined. 231 people (66.4%) out of 348 examined required orthopedic dental treatment (117 men (50.6%) and 114 women (49.4%). Conclusions. The conducted studies showed that the prevalence of orthopedic dental pathology among military personnel is high – 66.4% of those surveyed needed dental prosthetics, and, taking into account the peculiarities of military service, dental rehabilitation of this category of the population should be based on rehabilitation and early prosthetics with fixed structures. A trend has been observed regarding the increasing need for dental prosthetics with increasing age of military personnel.