Prevalence of Erosive Tooth Wear and Associated Dietary Factors among a Group of Finnish Adolescents.

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and severity of erosive tooth wear (ETW) among Finnish adolescents and to evaluate how frequency as well as amount of the use of erosive products is associated with ETW. The study population consisted of 328 voluntary, >15-year-old secondary school students (males 49.1%, females 50.9%) in three municipalities in Finland. Clinical examination to measure ETW (BEWE index) was carried out by trained and calibrated dentists. Piloted questionnaires included questions on consumption of drinks, fruits and berries, as well as tooth brushing frequency. Means and medians of frequencies and amounts of consumed erosive products were calculated and associations with ETW severity were analysed by logistic regression models. One-third (36.9%) of the participants were in need of at least preventive measures for ETW (BEWE sum score ≥3), but severe ETW (BEWE sum score >9) was rare (2.1%). Boys had severe ETW significantly more frequently than girls (p < 0.001). Habitual consumption of erosive drinks was common especially among boys compared to girls (p = 0.001). ETW was significantly associated with the amount of consumed erosive drinks, fruits, or berries. The prevalence of ETW among adolescences in Finland seems to be at the same level as in other Nordic and European countries. Consumption of erosive products is common and thus, the risk for tooth erosion is high, especially in boys. In addition to erosive drinks, also berries and fruits are associated with ETW and should be included in individual dietary counselling when early signs of ETW are clinically detected.

Eating problems among old home care clients.

AIMS: The purpose was to examine the prevalence and determinants of self-reported eating problems in old home care clients, screened separately by a clinical nutritionist and a dental hygienist. METHODS AND RESULTS: The data came from the Nutrition, Oral Health and Medication (NutOrMed) study, the participants of which were ≥75-year-old home care clients living in Finland. The structured interviews were conducted at the participants' (n = 250) homes. Of the participants, 29% reported poor appetite, 20% had problems with chewing, and 14% had problems with swallowing when asked by a clinical nutritionist. Additionally, 18% reported oral health-related eating problems when asked by a dental hygienist. Participants with continuous xerostomia (odds ratio [OR]: 3.0, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.0-9.0) or poor self-reported oral health (OR: 4.3, 95% CI: 1.4-13.0) had a higher risk for problems with chewing when asked by a clinical nutritionist. Edentulous participants (OR: 3.5, 95% CI: 1.2-10.9) and participants with toothache or problems with dentures (OR: 10.3, 95% CI: 4.0-26.0) had a higher risk for oral health-related eating problems when asked by a dental hygienist. CONCLUSION: Eating problems are common in older adults, and interprofessional collaboration is required for their identification and alleviation.

Retained dental roots of adults: A nationwide population study with panoramic radiographs.

The aim of this study was to assess the occurrence and nature of retained dental roots and their associations with demographics in the Finnish adult population. From the cross-sectional nationwide Health 2000 Survey of the Finnish population aged 30 years and older, 6005 participants with clinical oral examination and panoramic radiographs were included. Occurrence and characteristics of all retained dental roots were examined. Statistical analyses included χ2 , Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests, and SAS-SUDAAN calculations. The mean age of the 6005 participants (46% men and 54% women) was 53 (SD 14.6) years. At least one retained dental root was observed in 13% (n = 754) of the participants. The 1350 retained roots included 461 (34%) roots retained entirely in bone and 889 (66%) partly in bone. The most common location of a retained dental root was the third molar region. Occurrence of retained roots partly in bone was associated with male sex and lower education. Occurrence of retained third molar roots entirely in bone was associated with female sex, younger age, higher education, and living in a city. Among all retained dental roots, the preponderance of third molars emphasized the demanding nature of extracting the third molar in women.

Is the technical quality of root fillings associated with socioeconomic status? A cross-sectional study among Finnish adults.

We investigated differences in the technical quality of root fillings according to socioeconomic status. In the Finnish Health 2000 Survey, which comprised a sample of 8,028 adults aged over 29 yr, 6,115 underwent panoramic radiography. A total of 7,986 endodontically treated teeth were detected among 3,095 participants. The criterion for a technically inadequate root filling was a distance from the root filling to the root apex of over 3 mm or a filling extruding beyond the apex. Educational level, employment status, and income were the measures of socioeconomic status. Differences in the frequency of inadequate root fillings according to socioeconomic status were investigated using a multilevel logistic mixed-effects model taking into account age, gender, number of teeth, and type of root filled tooth. Almost half (46%) of the root fillings were inadequate. Among the over 64-yr-olds, higher education and higher income were associated with a higher probability of having an inadequate root filling. Among the under 65-yr-olds, socioeconomic status was not associated with root filling quality. Contrary to expectation, lower socioeconomic status was not associated with poorer endodontic treatment quality; however, higher income and higher education was associated with higher odds for inadequate root fillings among the over 64-yr-olds.

Prevalence of clinical signs and pain symptoms of temporomandibular disorders and associated factors in adult Finns.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of clinical signs and pain symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and associated factors in the Finnish adult population, as well as the association between self-reported TMD pain symptoms and clinical signs.Material and methods: The sample consisted of 1577 Finnish adults who participated in the Health 2011 Survey (BRIF8901). Signs of TMD were assessed using clinical examination, and TMD pain symptoms were inquired using validated questions.Results: Of the study subjects, 35% showed at least one sign of TMD, 8% reported weekly facial pain and 6% weekly pain when biting or jaw opening. According to logistic regression, female gender, poor general health and low level of education increased the risk for most TMD signs and TMD pain symptoms. Muscle or TMJ pain on palpation associated significantly with self-reported weekly facial pain or pain when biting or jaw opening.Conclusion: Over a third of the population showed clinical signs of TMD and less than one-tenth reported TMD pain symptoms. An assessment of a patient's general health needs to be a part of TMD diagnosis and treatment. The Finnish versions of the validated questions are applicable for screening of TMD pain.

Prevalence of third molars determined by panoramic radiographs in a population-based survey of adult Finns.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to examine the prevalence of third molars in panoramic radiographs in a population-based study of adults aged ≥30 years. METHODS: Out of a sample of 8028 inhabitants of Finland, selected with two-staged stratified cluster-sampling method for the Health 2000 Survey, 5989 participated in clinical oral examination and panoramic radiography. Mean age was 52.5 years (SD 14.6; range 30-97 years). The following variables were included in the analysis: participant characteristics, clinical number of all teeth, and radiographic prevalence and characteristics of third molars. Statistics included chi-squared, Fisher's exact, and Kruskal-Wallis tests and SAS-SUDAAN calculations. RESULTS: A total of 5912 third molars in 47.8% of the study population were recorded from panoramic radiographs. At least one impacted third molar was found in 21.9% of the study population. More than half (57.3%) of the remaining third molars were located in the mandible. A preponderance of participants with all third molars missing were observed in the oldest age group, women, those with lower education and those living in the countryside. Third molars or remnants thereof were observed radiographically in 3.9% of clinically edentulous study population. CONCLUSIONS: The panoramic radiographs disclosed many remaining third molars in adult Finns aged ≥30 years. One-third of the third molars located impacted which may cause unexpected need for care.

Age-period-cohort analysis of trends in toothache prevalence among 15- to 64-yr-old Finns over a 25-yr period.

Information on long-term trends in toothache prevalence is scarce. The aim of this study was to assess age-, period-, and cohort-related changes in toothache prevalence among 15- to 64-yr-old adults in Finland between 1990 and 2014 by using annual, representative postal surveys, albeit with decreasing response rates from 76% (n = 3,812) to 53% (n = 2,630). Age-period-cohort analysis of toothache prevalence during the past month was performed. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to account for other factors contributing to toothache. Toothache prevalence increased from 7% to 12% during the time period 1990 to 2014. Age-period-cohort analysis revealed that toothache prevalence increased from cohort to cohort, especially from the 1960 birth cohorts onwards (cohort effect). Adults under 30 yr of age had the highest toothache prevalence (~17%), while, in those over 30 yr of age, toothache prevalence decreased steadily according to age (to ~5% at age 64 yr, age effect). Toothache prevalence peaked at ~ 11% in the mid-2000s (period effect). Toothache was strongly associated with poorer perceived health and lower toothbrushing frequency and less strongly associated with higher educational level, a higher number of missing teeth, history of smoking, being single, separated, or divorced, and female gender. The increase in toothache prevalence occurred especially from 1990 to the mid-2000s, and mainly among younger age groups and more recent cohorts.

Longitudinal pathways between perceived oral health and regular service use of adult Finns.

OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to evaluate changes in and pathways between different measures of perceived oral health (POH) and regular oral health service use between the years 2000 and 2011 among Finnish adults. POH was measured by means of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and subjective oral health (SOH). METHODS: The study was based on a longitudinal sample (n = 5525) of adults having participated both in the Health 2000 and 2011 Surveys (BRIF 8901). OHRQoL was measured with the Oral Health Impact Profile 14-item questionnaire and SOH with a single question. Path analyses were used to determine whether SOH or OHRQoL affected service use or vice versa, grouped by age groups and self-assessed treatment need. RESULTS: The path analyses indicate that good OHRQoL leads to regular service use and regular service use leads to better SOH. The first path was stronger among the elderly (0.10) and the second among the younger age group (0.07). Both paths were stronger (0.12 and 0.06) among those who reported no treatment need in 2000. CONCLUSIONS: Good OHRQoL, indicated by a lack of perceived problems or symptoms, leads to regular service use. Our findings indicate that poor OHRQoL leads to nonregular service use, and nonregular service use leads to poor SOH.

Alcohol use and periodontal pocket development: findings from a 4-yr longitudinal study.

This study investigated whether alcohol use influences periodontal pocket development during a 4-yr follow-up period. The study included those participants who took part in both the Health 2000 Survey and the Follow-up Study on Finnish Adults' Oral Health. The participants at baseline were aged ≥30 yr, periodontally healthy, and did not have diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis. The development of periodontal pockets at follow-up was measured as the number of teeth with periodontal pockets and the presence of periodontal pockets. Alcohol use at baseline was measured as g/wk, frequency, and use over the risk limit. Incidence rate ratios with 95% CI were estimated using negative binomial regression models and Poisson regression models with a robust variance estimator. No consistent association was found between any of the alcohol variables and periodontal pocket development in the total population or among non-smokers. Among smokers, a positive association was found with the frequency of alcohol use. In general, risk estimates were slightly higher for women than for men. In summary, light-to-moderate alcohol use appears not to be consistently associated with the development of periodontal pockets. The adverse effects on the periodontium seem, to some extent, to be dependent on gender and smoking.

Interdental cleaning and periodontal pocketing among finnish adults.

AIM: To investigate the relationship between frequency of interdental cleaning and 11-year change in teeth with periodontal pocketing in Finnish adults. METHODS: Data from 1667 dentate adults, aged 30 to 82 years, who participated in the Health 2000 survey and were re-examined in 2004 and/or 2011 were analysed. Participants reported their frequency of interdental cleaning (either dental floss or interdental brush) at baseline. Teeth with periodontal pocketing (PD) ≥4 mm were counted in every survey and treated as a repeated outcome. The association between the frequency of interdental cleaning and the number of teeth with PD ≥4 mm was evaluated in linear mixed effects models, controlling for demographic factors, socioeconomic position, diabetes, smoking status, toothbrushing frequency, dental attendance and number of teeth. RESULTS: Twelve per cent of adults reported daily interdental cleaning. Significant inverse linear trends in the number of teeth with PD ≥4 mm were found in every survey according to the frequency of interdental cleaning. However, this association was completely attenuated after adjustment for the full set of confounders. Contrarily, toothbrushing frequency was negatively associated with the baseline number of teeth with PD ≥4 mm and its rate of change over time. CONCLUSION: Interdental cleaning was not associated with 11-year change in periodontal pocketing after accounting for other established risk factors for periodontal disease.

What kind of third molars are disease-free in a population aged 30 to 93 years?

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to characterize third molars that have remained disease-free in a representative sample of the Finnish population aged 30 years and older. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two-staged stratified cluster sampling (N = 8028) was used, and 6005 subjects participated in a clinical oral examination and panoramic radiography. Disease-free third molars were characterized as follows: no dentinal caries, no filling, periodontal pocket depths of neighboring second molars less than 4 mm, and no radiographic pathological findings. Logistic regression analyses served for assessment of the strength of characteristics of third molars for disease-free status. RESULTS: Of the subjects, 2653 (44%) had at least one third molar. Of them, the majority (62%) had only diseased third molars, 16% had only disease-free ones, and 22% had both. Participants had in total 5665 third molars; 29% of them were disease-free. Female gender, higher level of education, and younger age were related to disease-free status (P < 0.001). Disease-free status was more likely for third molars at cervical or apical level than at occlusal level: odds ratio was 10.1 for all teeth, 8.5 for maxillary teeth, and 6.2 for mandibular teeth. CONCLUSION: A third molar situated deeper in the bone was more likely to be disease-free than a tooth at occlusal level in the population aged 30 years and older. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Our results suggest that the number of disease-free third molars decreased with increasing age, and most dramatically, this occurred among teeth at cervical level with the neighboring second molar.

Changes in perceived oral health in a longitudinal population-based study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim was to examine whether the changes in different measures of perceived oral health (POH) were similar and related to each other over 11 years in the Finnish adult population in a longitudinal setting. Perceived oral health was measured by means of subjective oral health (SOH), self-assessed treatment need (STN), and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). METHODS: The data were collected as part of the nationally representative Health 2000 and Health 2011 (BRIF 8901) surveys on Finnish adults born in 1981 or earlier. SOH and STN were measured using single items and OHRQoL using the 14-item Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). The changes in STN and OHRQoL were reported by age group and by gender. Age groups (born in 1971 or later, in 1956-1970, in 1946-1955, or in 1945 or earlier) were based on access to subsidized oral health care. General linear mixed models for changes in perceived oral health variables were conducted. RESULTS: Subjective oral health and oral health-related quality of life with impacts occurring occasionally, fairly often, or very often (OFoVo) showed similar results and remained good or improved in the majority of the participants. Self-assessed treatment need in the population showed less consistent results. Subjective oral health was good in the adult population. About half of the participants, regardless of age and gender, reported self-assessed treatment need in both years, showing a decrease among women and an increase in the youngest group. Perceived oral health improved significantly in the two oldest age groups regardless of the measure. The general linear mixed model revealed that changes in all three perceived oral health variables were related even when adjusted for age and gender. CONCLUSION: Multiple perceived oral health measures might be useful for service planning, as the changes in the three separate measures used in this longitudinal study were various and thus measured different aspects of perceived oral health. Research including both self-perceived and clinical indicators is needed to understand need for care as a whole.

Dental and periodontal health in Finnish adults in 2000 and 2011.

OBJECTIVE: We assessed dental and periodontal health in adults aged ≥30 years living in southern and northern Finland as part of the Health 2000/2011 Surveys (BRIF8901). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Clinical findings in 2000 (n = 2967) and 2011 (n = 1496) included the presence of teeth and number of teeth with caries, fillings, fractures or periodontal pockets. RESULTS: Edentulousness decreased in all age groups. The prevalence of those with no caries increased from 67% to 69% in men and from 80% to 85% in women, and of those with no periodontal pocketing from 26% to 30% in men and from 39% to 42% in women. In 2011, the mean number of decayed teeth was 0.8 in men and 0.3 in women, and the corresponding mean numbers of teeth with deepened periodontal pockets 5.6 and 3.7. The gender difference had levelled concerning edentulousness, number of teeth and DMF teeth, but still existed in the occurrence of caries and periodontal pocketing. CONCLUSION: The findings were in line with other population-based reports in the 2000s. However, periodontal health in Finland seems not to be as good as in many European countries and in the USA.

Periodontal condition in relation to the adherence to nutrient recommendations in daily smokers.

AIM: To examine whether a healthy diet based on nutrient recommendations is associated with periodontal condition in smokers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Daily smokers from the cross-sectional Health 2000 Survey (BRIF 8901) in Finland were analysed in two age groups (30-49 and 50-79 years, n = 704 and 267) and according to the level of oral hygiene. Periodontal condition was measured as the number of sextants with gingival bleeding and teeth with ≥4 mm deepened periodontal pockets. Information on nutrition was collected by a validated food frequency questionnaire and measured using the Baltic Sea Diet Score (BSDS) and the Recommended Finnish Diet Score (RFDS). RESULTS: In the total study population, no association between the scores and periodontal condition was observed. Among 30- to 49-year-old participants with good oral hygiene, diet scores associated inversely with the number of teeth with deepened periodontal pockets (p = .078 (BSDS) and p = .027 (RFDS)). CONCLUSIONS: In a representative sample of Finnish adults who smoke, a healthy diet was not associated with periodontal condition. Among a younger age group with good oral hygiene, a healthy diet associated with better periodontal condition. Age and oral hygiene appeared to modify the association between diet and periodontal condition.

Toothbrushing behaviour and periodontal pocketing: An 11-year longitudinal study.

AIM: To explore the association between toothbrushing behaviour and change in periodontal pocketing among adults. METHODS: We pooled data from 1,025 adults, aged 30-89 years, who participated in two national surveys in Finland (Health 2000 and Health 2011, BRIF8901) and reported their toothbrushing frequency. A cumulative measure of regular toothbrushing was created by counting the number of times participants reported brushing twice or more daily across the two surveys (ranging from 0 to 2). The association between toothbrushing behaviour and the number of teeth with periodontal pocket depth (PPD) ≥4 mm over 11 years was assessed in linear regression models adjusting for confounders. RESULTS: There was a clear dose-response relationship between toothbrushing frequency (either at baseline or follow-up) and change in number of teeth with PPD ≥ 4 mm. There was also evidence of a cumulative effect of regular toothbrushing on change in number of teeth with PPD ≥ 4 mm. Participants who reported brushing twice or more a day in both surveys developed 1.99 (95% CI: 1.02-2.95) fewer teeth with PPD ≥ 4 mm than those who did not report this behaviour in any survey. CONCLUSION: This 11-year prospective study showed that toothbrushing behaviour was associated with smaller increments in the number of teeth with periodontal pocketing.

Education-related inequality in restorative dental treatment need over 11 years in two areas of Finland.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to analyse education-related inequality in restorative dental treatment need among adults aged 30 years and older living in Northern and Southern Finland in 2000 and 2011. METHODS: Data were taken from the Health 2000 and 2011 population-based follow-up surveys, including information gathered by interviews and clinical dental examination. Final effective sample sizes were 2423 people in 2000 and 1192 people in 2011. Restorative dental treatment need was measured with number of decayed and/or fractured teeth (DT + FrT). Education-related inequality in number of DT + FrT and factors explaining it were analysed using the Poisson regression analysis, relative index of inequality and slope index of inequality. RESULTS: Average number of DT + FrT decreased from 2000 to 2011. Absolute and relative education-related inequalities in them decreased approximately 50% and 25% from 2000 to 2011, respectively. Tooth brushing frequency and time since last dental visit explained approximately 30%-40% of the education-related inequality. The contribution of time since last dental visit to the education-related inequality was smaller in 2011 than in 2000. CONCLUSIONS: It seems that, from 2000 to 2011, the need for restorative dental treatment decreased simultaneously with the education-related inequality in it among adults aged 30 years and older living in Northern and Southern Finland.

Use of oral health care services in Finnish adults - results from the cross-sectional Health 2000 and 2011 Surveys.

BACKGROUND: During the 2000s, two major legislative reforms concerning oral health care have been implemented in Finland. One entitled the whole population to subsidized care and the other regulated the timeframes of access to care. Our aim was, in a cross-sectional setting, to assess changes in and determinants of use of oral health care services before the first reform in 2000 and after both reforms in 2011. METHODS: The data were part of the nationally representative Health 2000 and 2011 Surveys of adults aged ≥ 30 years and were gathered by interviews and questionnaires. The outcome was the use of oral health care services during the previous year. Determinants of use among the dentate were grouped according to Andersen's model: predisposing (sex, age group), enabling (education, recall, dental fear, habitual use of services, household income, barriers of access to care), and need (perceived need, self-rated oral health, denture status). Chi square tests and logistic regression analyses were used for statistical evaluation. RESULTS: No major changes or only a minor increase in overall use of oral health care services was seen between the study years. An exception were those belonging to oldest age group who clearly increased their use of services. Also, a significant increase in visiting a public sector dentist was observed, particularly in the age groups that became entitled to subsidized care in 2000. In the private sector, use of services decreased in younger age groups. Determinants for visiting a dentist, regardless of the service sector, remained relatively stable. Being a regular dental visitor was the most significant determinant for having visited a dentist during the previous year. Enabling factors, both organizational and individual, were emphasized. They seemed to enable service utilization particularly in the private sector. CONCLUSIONS: Overall changes in the use of oral health care services were relatively small, but in line with the goals set for the reform. Older persons increased use of services in both sectors, implying growing need. Differences between public and private sectors persisted, and recall, costs of care and socioeconomic factors steered choices between the sectors, sustaining inequity in access to care.

Malocclusion traits and oral health-related quality of life in Finnish adults.

AIM: The aim of this study was to examine the association of increased overjet, cross-bite/scissor-bite and increased overbite/open bite with oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among Finnish adults using nationally representative data. METHODS: Part of the data from the Health 2000 Survey, Finland, was used in this study. A total of 4711 people were included, representing adults aged ≥30 years. The outcome variable was OHRQoL severity which was measured using the 14-item Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). Three malocclusion traits (increased overjet, cross-bite/scissor-bite and increased overbite/open bite) were used as explanatory variables. Age group, marital status, education level, income, employment status, having at least one decayed tooth or periodontal pocket ≥6 mm, the number of contacting pairs of teeth, denture status and self-reported general health status were controlled for. A series of multivariable zero-Inflated Poisson (ZIP) models were used to calculate incidence rate ratios (IRR) for the nonzero scores and odds ratios (OR) of having no event. RESULTS: The weighted prevalence of increased overjet was 8.4%, while it was 23.6% for cross-bite/scissor-bite and 6.7% for increased overbite/open bite. The mean (SE) OHIP-14 (OHRQoL severity) was 2.8 (0.92); the mean score was highest in the pain domain and lowest in the physical and social disability domains. The mean OHIP-14 score was higher in people with increased overjet but not significantly different in people with cross-bite/scissor-bite or with increased overbite/open bite. In multivariate ZIP models, people with increased overjet had a 10% higher OHIP-14 score than people with normal overjet. Increased overjet was associated only with the physical disability domain. Cross-bite/scissor-bite was associated only with the social disability domain, and psychological disability was associated with increased overbite/open bite. CONCLUSION: People with increased overjet had significantly poorer OHRQoL than people with normal overjet in a nationally representative population of Finnish adults ≥30 years. Other malocclusion traits were not associated with OHRQoL. However, all three malocclusion traits were associated with either physical or psychological or social disability domains of the OHRQoL.

Salivary Concentrations of Interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-17A, and IL-23 Vary in Relation to Periodontal Status.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin (IL)-23-induced T helper (Th) 17 pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease. This study's aim is to determine levels of IL-1ß, IL-17A, IL-23, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in saliva, and to examine whether their salivary concentrations are associated with periodontal health status. METHODS: Saliva samples originated from 220 participants; 76 had generalized periodontitis (GP) and 65 had localized periodontitis (LP), whereas 79 without periodontitis were used as controls. Cytokine analyses were performed by a flow cytometry-based technique and LPS analyses from pellet by commercially optimized assay coupled with chromogenic substrate. RESULTS: Salivary concentrations of IL-17A and IL-23 were elevated significantly in patients with LP compared with controls and patients with GP. Salivary IL-1ß concentrations were significantly higher in patients with GP than in patients with LP, whereas no difference was found between LP and control groups. Significant correlation was found between concentrations of IL-17A and IL-23 or IL-1ß. LPS concentrations did not have significant associations with any of the tested ILs. CONCLUSION: Elevated salivary IL-1ß concentrations are related to GP, whereas distinct elevation and reduction profiles of IL-17A and IL-23 are detected in saliva of patients with LP and GP.

Awareness of and compliance with healthy oral habits reported by children and their parents in Democratic People's Republic of Korea after a preventive programme.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to examine awareness of and compliance with healthy oral habits reported by children and their parents in Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), after a preventive programme. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data were collected in 2013 with self-completed, partly structured questionnaires from 1994 children aged 10 and 13 years and from 200 parents. Association between awareness of and compliance with healthy oral habits reported by the children and their parents was evaluated using Chi square tests and multivariate logistic regression analyses, children's oral health habits according to themselves and their parents were analysed using McNemar's test. RESULTS: Both children and their parents seemed to be familiar with healthy oral habits, although the awareness was not directly related to the reports of the children's oral practices. Most of the children reported brushing their teeth at least twice a day, using fluoride toothpaste and drinking water for thirst but frequent sweet snacking was common. Children's and their parents' reports were consistent with regard to sweet snacking frequency (p = 0.736) and the main thirst quencher (p = 0.349). CONCLUSIONS: Awareness of healthy oral habits appeared to be good among children and their parents. Unhealthy oral habits seemed to coincide with one another.