Dental caries prevalence and treatment needs among 12- and 15- Year old schoolchildren in Shimla city, Himachal Pradesh, India

The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence and severity of dental caries as well as the needs for dental treatment in 18-year-old males from Maringá, PR, Brazil. The association of dental caries experience with socioeconomic variables was also tested. A cross sectional study was conducted in a random sample of 241 conscripts of the Brazilian Army. The adopted diagnosis criteria were those proposed by the World Health Organization. A socioeconomic questionnaire was utilized to determine family income and the criterion of the Brazil Economic Classification of the National Association of Research Enterprises. Associations among caries prevalence, DMF-T index, treatment needs and socioeconomic variables were evaluated by means of the Chi-Square, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Caries prevalence was 82.6% and the mean DMF-T index was 4.6. Only a mean of 0.8 tooth per individual presented treatment needs. Significant statistical differences were found in caries prevalence and severity (DMF-T). The worst results were observed in the groups of lower income and purchasing power, indicating a need for the implementation of social policies that address these populations aiming at diminishing the existing differences in the health-disease process indicators. On the other hand, treatment needs were only associated to the Brazil Economic Classification Criterion variable (p < 0.05).

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Utilization pattern of dental care and dental caries prevalence among children aged 12- and 15-year in Himachal Pradesh, India

Journal of Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry ◽

10.4103/jiaphd.jiaphd_218_20 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (3) ◽

pp. 201

Author(s):

Sumeet Bhatt

Keyword(s):

Dental Caries ◽

Dental Care ◽

Himachal Pradesh ◽

Caries Prevalence ◽

Utilization Pattern

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Prevalence of Dental Caries and its Association with Risk Factors amongst Preschool Children of Bharakahu, Islamabad

Journal of Islamabad Medical & Dental College ◽

10.35787/jimdc.v9i2.463 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 88-94

Author(s):

Saba Masoud ◽

Sheze Haroon Qazi ◽

Rubina Mumtaz

Keyword(s):

Preschool Children ◽

Dental Caries ◽

Screening Method ◽

Caries Experience ◽

Base Line ◽

Caries Prevalence ◽

Sugar Consumption ◽

Treatment Needs ◽

Dental Visits ◽

Significant Difference

Background: It is necessary to understand the prevalence and pattern of distribution of dental caries for better planning and execution of preventive activities in the right dimension. This study provided the base line data about prevalence of dental caries in pre-school children of Bharakahu, Islamabad, and its association with brushing, sugar consumption and previous dental visits. Material and Methods: A total of 384 preschool children aged 3-5-year-old were screened from periurban area of Bharakahu, Islamabad, using type IV screening method. Data about decayed, missing and filled teeth was recorded using decayed-missing-filled teeth (DMFT) index. Socio-demographics, brushing, sugar consumption and previous dental visits were also recorded and analyzed and their association with dental caries was assessed using Chi square and Odds ratio. Results: The overall caries prevalence among the sample was 49%. The mean DMFT score with 1 SD was 2.07±3.215. There was no significant difference in caries prevalence in relation to gender of the children. The most significant association was for brushing and low DMFT. Children who brushed their teeth were 4 times more likely to have a low DMFT score of <1 than those who did not brush at all (P<0.001). Likewise, those who had visited a dentist in the past were twice more likely to have a low DMFT (P=0.003). The association of low sugar consumption and a low DMFT score was statistically insignificant (OR 1.4; P=0.878). Hence, brushing turned out to be the most significant factor in determining the caries experience for a child. Conclusions: This study provided us with the baseline data regarding the prevalence of caries in primary school going children of Bharakahu. The prevalence of unmet dental treatment needs was reflected through a high number of ‘decayed teeth’ as compared to missing and filled ones highlighting the need for restorative care in these children.

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