Čes. stomatol. Prakt. zub. lék. (Czech Dental Journal) 2025; 125(4): 81-88 | DOI: 10.51479/cspzl.2025.007

DENTAL STATUS AND LEVEL OF RESTORATION IN CHILDREN UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE IN THE ORTHODONTIST'S OFFICE

Hálek J.^1,3, Řezáčová E.^2,3, Marek P.⁴

¹ Rideto, s. r. o., Strakonice

² Stomatologická klinika, Lékařská fakulta v Plzni, Univerzita Karlova

³ Stomatologická klinika, Fakultní nemocnice Plzeň

⁴ Katedra matematiky, Fakulta aplikovaných věd, Západočeská univerzita v Plzni

Introduction and aim: Dental caries remains the most common infectious disease. Its presence can cause pain, difficulty in eating or spreading of infection to surrounding tissues. These complications can result in premature loss of primary teeth, leading to secondary crowding, disrupted eruption of permanent teeth, and worsening of orthodontic anomalies. The aim of this study is to describe the current dental status and level of restoration in children under 18 years of age who are referred to orthodontists by general dental practitioners as part of interdisciplinary collaboration.

Methods: Patients under 18 years of age who had a complete initial orthodontic record, including bitewing (BW) radiographs taken at a private orthodontic practice in Strakonice between June 2023 and June 2024, were included in the study. Patients were divided into two groups based on the presence of dental pathology. The first group consisted of patients who did not require any restoration prior to orthodontic treatment – this group included patients with no detected pathology, cavities limited to a maximum of D1 on BW images, and any fractures present only in the enamel. The second group included patients who did require restoration.

Results: A total of 124 patients, referred by 72 general dental practitioners, were enrolled in the study between June 2023 and June 2024. The group of patients not requiring restoration included 66 patients (53%), who were able to proceed with orthodontic treatment without delay. The group requiring restoration included 58 patients (47%).

Conclusion: Nearly half of the patients referred for orthodontic evaluation required restoration before starting the orthodontic treatment. This leads to delays and may cause changes to the orthodontic treatment plan, potentially complicating its future progress. Therefore, it is essential to know each patient's treating general dentist and to maintain responsible as well as effective communication with him/her.

Keywords: bitewing, caries, restoration, orthodontics

Received: January 7, 2025; Revised: April 23, 2025; Accepted: April 27, 2025; Prepublished online: November 29, 2025; Published: December 8, 2025  Show citation