Dental caries experience in a Hungarian police student population

The aim of this study was to assess the caries experience of Hungarian police students and to evaluate its relationship with nutrition, oral hygiene habits, behavioural and social factors. This representative cross-sectional epidemiological survey was conducted in a dental office of the Miskolc Law Enforcement Secondary School in Hungary in 2008. Altogether 792 Hungarian police student volunteers (male/female ratio was 90.3/9.7%, age: 20.4 ± 1.3 years, mean ± SD) participated in the study. Caries experience was measured using World Health Organization criteria and a validated questionnaire was used to collect social and oral health behaviour data. The DMFT number was 10.3 ± 5.7 (mean ± SD). Significant relationships were found between the DMFT value and the education of fathers, frequency of dental attendance, and use of dental floss (p < 0.05). D and T components of caries prevalence showed significant relationships with the frequency of dental attendance, while from the components the FT value showed statistically significant relationships with the education of fathers and the MT component with the use of dental floss (p < 0.05). Based on the results of this survey, strategies aiming at effective caries-preventive programmes should be established in police student populations ensuring the official basic requirements on their health condition and suitability for subsequent service. The published information can be used as a base for new strategies, and allows the evaluation of the effects of a carefully planned and implemented health care system.