{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,24]],"date-time":"2026-07-24T06:02:34Z","timestamp":1784872954746,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":52,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"15","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,7]],"date-time":"2025-08-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1754524800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Zagreb City Office for Health","award":["500-01\/17-01\/344"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["500-01\/17-01\/344"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate caries experience in correlation with self-reported oral health-related habits in a sample of blind and low-vision individuals in Croatia. Methods: The study is a part of the research in the \u201cProject for Oral Health Promotion in Blind and Visually Impaired Persons\u201d conducted at the Zagreb University School of Dental Medicine from 2014 to 2018. The final sample consisted of 85 adults: 42 females and 43 males; 50 blind and 35 low-vision individuals, age range 18\u201398. The assessment included dental examination and a questionnaire. Results: The median DMFT (Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth) index score was 17.0 (IQR = 12.5\u201322.0), with no significant difference between sexes or between blind and low-vision individuals. The occurrence of untreated caries was low (median D-component = 1.0), while the median F-component was 6.0. There was a significant increase in M-component and DMFT in older age groups. The number of untreated caries (D-component) was significantly correlated with consummation of soft drinks and smoking. Total DMFT did not correlate with frequency of tooth brushing, time since last dental visit, smoking, or level of education. Conclusions: This study revealed high caries experience among blind and visually impaired individuals that did not correlate with factors that normally influence oral health. Similar results were found in the control group, reflecting a 30-year post-war period without organized preventive care. The low number of decayed teeth reflects the availability of public dental care in Croatia; however, preventive care should be provided for both this vulnerable group and the general population.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm14155576","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,7]],"date-time":"2025-08-07T10:58:26Z","timestamp":1754564306000},"page":"5576","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Caries Experience and Oral Health-Related Habits in Blind and Low-Vision Individuals in Croatia"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6444-3041","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jelena","family":"Duman\u010di\u0107","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dental Anthropology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia"},{"name":"Department of Dental Medicine, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marijana","family":"Radi\u0107 Vuleta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dental Medicine, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia"},{"name":"Croatian Institute of Public Health, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6096-6796","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bo\u017eana","family":"Lon\u010dar Brzak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oral Medicine, School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5210-1765","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ivana","family":"Savi\u0107 Pavi\u010din","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dental Anthropology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia"},{"name":"Department of Dental Medicine, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tara","family":"Kurpez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Stichting Bijzondere Tandheelkunde (Center for Special Care Dentistry), 1081 LA Amsterdam, The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Neda","family":"Striber","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Children\u2019s Hospital Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ivana","family":"\u010cukovi\u0107-Bagi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dental Medicine, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia"},{"name":"Department of Paediatric and Preventive Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2021, August 20). 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