Received by the Editorial Office: September 04, 2026
Accepted for publication: September 21, 2026
Published online: September 30, 2026
UDC 616.314-002-036.2(575.2)
DOI: 10.70113/1815-9443.2026.97.13.002
PREVALENCE AND INTENSITY OF DENTAL CARIES IN THE SOUTHERN REGIONS OF THE KYRGYZ REPUBLIC: A CROSS-SECTIONAL EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY
Kulnazarov A.S.¹, Akmatov M.A.¹; Temirbekov I.B.¹; Dzhuraeva Ch.M.²; Ismailov A.A.³; Bashirov M.B.¹; Rozyeva R.S.¹; Yuldashev I.M.²
¹ S.B. Daniyarov Kyrgyz State Medical Institute for Retraining and Continuing Education, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic;
² I.K. Akhunbaev Kyrgyz State Medical Academy, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic;
³ Osh State University, Osh, Kyrgyz Republic
Introduction: Dental caries remains a major public-health problem, while geographically diverse regions of the Kyrgyz Republic may differ in environmental conditions and access to preventive dental care.
Objective: To assess the prevalence and intensity of dental caries and selected oral-health indicators among school-aged children in the southern region of the Kyrgyz Republic, with comparison of highland and valley, rural and urban populations.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional epidemiological survey included 2,064 schoolchildren from Osh Region and the city of Osh. Dental examinations were performed using standardized clinical approaches; caries prevalence and intensity were assessed using DMFT/df components, and oral-hygiene/periodontal indicators were summarized descriptively. Data were analyzed in MS Excel. Results: Overall caries prevalence among the surveyed schoolchildren was 83.9%, with mean DMFT=2.65 (D=2.03, F=0.41, M=0.21). In rural valley areas, prevalence was 90.7% and DMFT=2.46 (D=1.75, F=0.48, M=0.23). In the city of Osh, prevalence was 83.2% and DMFT=2.86 (D=2.11, F=0.44, M=0.31). In highland Chon-Alai, permanent-tooth caries prevalence among children aged 8–17 years was 77.7%, with overall DMFT=2.62.
Discussion: The predominance of the decayed component and the relatively small contribution of filled teeth indicate a substantial burden of untreated disease and limited restorative coverage. The higher prevalence observed in rural valley areas underscores geographic inequalities in oral-health burden; however, the descriptive cross-sectional design does not permit causal attribution to environmental or healthcare-access factors.
Conclusion: Schoolchildren in southern Kyrgyzstan have a high burden of dental caries, particularly in rural valley areas. The findings support strengthening population-based prevention, early detection, and access to restorative dental care.
Keywords: dental caries; DMFT; prevalence; schoolchildren; oral health; Kyrgyz Republic.
