A Comparison of Dental Caries in Urban and Rural Children of the Riyadh Region of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background and Aim: The data presented in this study aimed to document caries prevalence and severity among a representative sample of 6, 12, and 15 years old Saudi Children. Methodology: The study examined a total of 1,986 school children from 75 schools in urban and rural areas of Riyadh region, Saudi Arabia. Children having one or more dental caries lesion were used to determine prevalence of dental caries. Total number of decayed filled teeth (dft) was used to assess caries severity in the 6 years group while the DMFT was used to assess severity of dental caries at the 12 and 15 years age group. Results: The caries prevalence was 85.77% in the 6 years group, 64.98% in the 12 years group, and 71.35% in the 15 years group. Mean dft was 1.4 (SD ± 1.1). The mean DMFT was 1.72 (SD ± 0.49) at 12 years and 2.66 (SD ± 0.55) at 15 years. Both caries rate and severity were higher in rural areas than urban areas although the differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the prevalence and severity of dental caries in Saudi Arabia remain high, when compared to global averages.

Dental caries experience and related risk indicators of 12-year-old students in Jilin, China

“…[ 37 ] Various factors, including socio-economic factors, sample size, dietary behaviors, brushing habits, and cultural differences, can lead to different results. [ 2 , 3 , 8 , 14 , 15 , 24 , 25 ] Thus, it is necessary to carefully and reasonably interpret each result. We speculate that the high incidence of DC in Jilin Province may be attributed to the following 2 factors:…”

Oral health status of schoolchildren living in rural and urban areas in southern Brazil

“…2,5,6,7,8 In this sense, rural life could expose individuals to limited access to both health services and fluoridated water, as well as to a low educational level, 9,10 all of which notably play a role in dental caries development. Whereas Al-Rafee et al 11 found no difference between rural and urban schoolchildren in this regard, controversial results revealed higher caries experience in urban populations. 12,13 This finding is conceivable, since living in an urban setting is known to increase exposure to unhealthy dietary habits, 12,14,15,16 and to allow easier access to industrialized and processed food.…”

Knowledge and Use of Caries Detection Methods among Dental Students and Dental Practitioners in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

“…The prevalence of caries in Saudi Arabia is remarkably high. For example, national statistics showed that the prevalence of dental caries was 71.35% among 15-year-old children in 2019 [ 6 ]. Moreover, a cross-regional meta-analysis conducted in 2010 showed a staggeringly high rate of caries among the Saudi population [ 7 ].…”