Comparison approahes to children’s caries treatment among ukrainian dental students and dentists

Kaskova, L.F. and Yanko, N.V. and Vashchenko, I.Y. and Andryanova, O.Y. and Novikova, S.C. and Amosova, L.I. and Pavlenkova, O.S. and Ulasevich, L.P. (2026) Comparison approahes to children’s caries treatment among ukrainian dental students and dentists. Медичні перспективи, 31 (1). pp. 4-11. ISSN 2307-0404, online 2786-4804

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Abstract

Selecting the non-operative or operative method of caries treatment is crucial for saving affected teeth. This article aims to investigate the diagnosis and treatment methods of caries lesions in children which preferred by the students and dentists from Poltava city, and to explore factors influencing their treatment approaches. The research tool was standard anonymous survey modified by the authors, which composed of three clinical scenarios and questions about diagnosis and treatment of carious lesions and collected data on gender and length of dental service (assistance for students). The fourth- and fifth-year dental students from Poltava state medical university (PSMU) and the dentists from government-owned and private clinics in Poltava were interviewed. Statistical analysis of the results was performed using descriptive statistics andPearson's chi-square test. Among the students, 2.7% believed that radiographs estimate the true depth of a proximal carious lesion compared with clinical findings, and 66.1% of the dentists agreed with this statement (p<0.05). 66.9% of the students and 84.75% of the dentists answered that it would take less than 6 months for an approximal lesion to progress from outer enamel to dentin (p<0.05). 56.25% of the students and 77.97% of the dentists (p<0.05) diagnosed an enamel caries (ICDAS 2-3) in the first clinical scenario. For the first clinical scenario, choice of treatment method depended on student's length ofdental assistance (p<0.05). 42.36% of the students and 55.93% of the dentists (p<0.05) diagnosed enamel caries in thesecond clinical scenario. In both clinical scenarios, dentists predominantly chose operative treatment methods (66.09% and78.82%), which was significantly higher than the rates observed among students (43.06% and 47.02%; p<0.001). 56.5% ofthe students and 59.32% of the dentists chose immediate operative treatment for an occlusal carious lesion confined byenamel in the third clinical scenario. The surveyed students did not place sufficient importance to radiographs in diagnosisof proximal lesions. Instead, students length of dental assistance was a major factor influencing their treatment decisionsfor enamel caries. The majority of surveyed dentists disagreed with current recommendations for treatment of enamellesions, preferring operative intervention to a non-operative approach. This suggests that academic institutions should make conservative and restorative dentistry a priority area.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	DOI:10.26641/2307-0404.2026.1.356811 https://medpers.dmu.edu.ua/uk/2025-tom-xxxi/no-1
Uncontrolled Keywords:	children, caries, treatment, prevention
Subjects:	General dentistry
Divisions:	University periodicals > Medical perspectives
Depositing User:	Аліна Чеботарьова
Date Deposited:	29 Apr 2026 13:03
Last Modified:	29 Apr 2026 13:03
URI:	http://repo.dma.dp.ua/id/eprint/9938

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