Prevalence and severity of early childhood caries in malnourished children in Mendoza, Argentina

Abstract

The aim of this correlational, descriptive, cross-sectional study was to describe the pathological profile of Early Childhood Caries (ECC) in malnourished children who attended two centers for prevention and treatment of child malnutrition in Mendoza, Argentina. The study included 145 children aged 12 to 71 months, with prior parental consent, and recorded dmft and dmfs according to ICDAS II 2 to 6 and 4 to 6 active caries categories, age and severity of caries experience. Parametric and non-parametric statistics were applied with p=0.05. Caries prevalence for enamel and dentin lesions was 48.2%, declining to 35.2% when only dentin lesions were considered (dmft 4-6). The following means were found for dmft and dmfs: dmft 2-6 2.10 ± 3.31, with “d” 2.03 ± 3.24; dmfs 3.07 ± 6.1 with “d” 2.91 ± 6.1; dmft 4-6 1.21 ± 2.46 with “d” 1.14 ± 2.37; dmfs 4-6 1.98 ± 5.14 and “d” 1.86 ± 5.06. There were statistically significant differences between dmft 2-6 and dmft 4-6. Active enamel lesions (ICDAS II active categories 2 and 3) accounted for 37% of total lesions. Active lesions type 5 were the most frequent. The indicators for dental status and severity of caries experience increased with age, both with moderate positive correlations. Conclusions: Malnourished children under six years old studied in Mendoza presented comorbidity with ECC. Dental status worsened with age. The values for caries indicators demonstrated the weight of caries diagnoses in early stages and the importance of providing preventive measures and systematic monitoring during these children’s early years of life.

Experience, Prevalence, and Severity of Dental Caries in Mexican Preschool and School-Aged Children

“…Since the percentage of caries indices in both dentitions is mainly composed of the "decayed" component, it demonstrates high treatment needs for caries. Similar situations have been found in Latin America [ 20 - 22 ], in Mexico [ 3 , 4 , 23 - 25 ], and in other countries around the world with similar populations [ 8 , 9 , 26 , 27 ]. In children living in middle-income countries, such as Mexico, some factors contribute to the presence and development of dental caries, including lack of proper dental hygiene, a diet rich in cariogenic sugars, lack of access to oral health services, and additional preventive measures, such as fluoride supplements.…”