RESULTS OF PREVENTIVE EXAMINATION OF SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN IN RURAL AREAS OF OSH REGION OF THE KYRGYZ REPUBLIC

Background: Dental caries represents a major public health issue that affects children living in underprivileged rural areas. The relationship between environmental factors such as climate and geographical conditions and oral health outcomes remains poorly documented regarding caries prevalence differences between different zones. The Osh region of Kyrgyzstan with its varied highland and flatland areas creates an ideal environment to study how geography affects pediatric dental health. Knowledge about caries patterns in these populations is essential for developing targeted preventive measures and maximizing resource effectiveness. Objective: The study aimed to compare the prevalence, intensity, and care indices (K/P components) of dental caries among children aged 7, 12, and 15 years in rural highland and flatland schools of Kyrgyzstan’s Osh region. Methods: The research included 218 children who attended either a highland school with 102 students or a flatland school with 116 students. The dental examinations evaluated caries prevalence in both primary and permanent teeth as well as caries intensity through DMFT/dmft indices and the "K" (caries experience) and "P" (preventive/restorative care) components. Results: The prevalence of caries in primary teeth reached alarming levels in both zones (94.87% highland vs. 93.80% flatland). The caries intensity in permanent teeth was high to very high throughout all age groups without any noticeable differences between geographical areas. The two schools showed low "P" scores (indicating insufficient preventive/restorative care) together with elevated "K" scores (indicating substantial untreated caries burden). Conclusion: The high caries burden persisted regardless of geographical location because systemic gaps in oral healthcare access and prevention remained unaddressed. The urgent need requires community-level interventions together with preventive education and equitable dental care infrastructure to tackle this widespread problem in rural Kyrgyzstan.