{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T19:29:35Z","timestamp":1790710175955,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,18]],"date-time":"2025-12-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1766016000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Children"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Oral health in children remains a key public health concern, particularly in regions with limited access to preventive programs. Despite improvements in dental care availability, the prevalence of plaque accumulation, gingival inflammation, and carious lesions remains high. This study provides updated regional data for Western Romania\u2014a population previously underrepresented in oral health surveillance\u2014and aims to evaluate oral hygiene behaviors, dietary habits, and clinical oral health indicators among Romanian schoolchildren, identifying potential areas for preventive action. Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted in October 2025 on 202 schoolchildren aged 5\u201314 years from Western Romania. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire assessing socio-demographic characteristics, oral hygiene practices, and dietary behaviors, followed by a standardized intraoral examination. Plaque Index (PI) and Gingival Index (GI) were recorded, and statistical analysis was performed using chi-square tests (p &lt; 0.05). Results: Most participants (83.7%) reported brushing their teeth at least twice daily, whereas only 24.8% used dental floss and 13.4% used interdental aids. The prevalence of carious lesions or restorations was 66.8%, visible plaque was 69.8%, and gingival inflammation was 50.0%. A significant positive correlation was observed between PI and GI (r = 0.58, p &lt; 0.001). Children aged 5\u20137 years exhibited the highest rate of active carious lesions (71.2%, p = 0.014). Conclusions: Although brushing frequency among Romanian schoolchildren was generally satisfactory, inadequate interdental hygiene and suboptimal plaque control were common. School-based preventive programs emphasizing proper brushing technique, dietary counseling, and early education may contribute to improved oral health outcomes in this population.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/children12121712","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,18]],"date-time":"2025-12-18T09:15:21Z","timestamp":1766049321000},"page":"1712","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Oral Hygiene and Dietary Behaviors Among Romanian Schoolchildren: A Cross-Sectional Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-6347-3497","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ioana Elena","family":"Lile","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dental Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, \u201cVasile Goldis\u201d Western University of Arad, 310025 Arad, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Carolina","family":"Cojocariu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dental Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, \u201cVasile Goldis\u201d Western University of Arad, 310025 Arad, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2585-2632","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Diana","family":"Marian","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dental Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, \u201cVasile Goldis\u201d Western University of Arad, 310025 Arad, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tiberiu","family":"Hosszu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dental Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, \u201cVasile Goldis\u201d Western University of Arad, 310025 Arad, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ademir Horia","family":"Stana","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, \u201cVasile Goldi\u0219\u201d Western University of Arad, 94-96 Revolutiei Blvd., 310025 Arad, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-6217-6022","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Otilia","family":"Stana","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dental Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, \u201cVasile Goldis\u201d Western University of Arad, 310025 Arad, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"894","article-title":"Oral health and global health: Lessons learned from the integration of oral health into primary health care","volume":"90","author":"Petersen","year":"2012","journal-title":"Bull. 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