Prevalence of early childhood caries and its risk factors in 18-72 month old children in Salem, Tamil Nadu

Abstract

Background:Early childhood caries (ECC) is one of the most common dental diseases among the preschoolers, leading to suboptimal health. A study was planned to evaluate the prevalence of ECC in preschool children in the age group between 18 and 72 months and its relationship with parent's education and socioeconomic status of the family.Materials and Methods:This cross-sectional study was conducted among 2771 children selected randomly, in the age group 18–72 months and attending playschools and primary schools in urban, semi-urban, and rural areas of Salem, Tamil Nadu. A modified Winter et al. questionnaire and a proforma were used for collecting information on each child. The completed questionnaire and proformas were statistically analyzed and evaluated. The statistical analysis was done using Student's t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to obtain mean values.Results:The prevalence of ECC in Salem was 16% with a mean dfs of 5.23 ± 1. Prevalence was high among the children of low socioeconomic status group and the children of working mothers, with a mean dfs of 10.47.Conclusion:The prevalence of ECC was 16% in Salem, Tamil Nadu. ECC was seen more in children of working mothers, lower parental education, and lower socioeconomic groups.

Family-related factors associated with caries prevalence in the primary dentition of 5–6-year-old children in urban and rural areas of Jabalpur City

“…Any change in their dietary habits, and oral hygiene practices pose a greater cariogenic challenge. [ 4 ]…”

“…The main factors associated with a child's dmft >0 in 5 years old children were - mothers’ lower level of basic education, higher number of siblings, higher snacking frequency permitted by parents, inability of parents to control sugar consumption, parents lax attitude when regulating brushing frequency, unassisted brushing by the children, and parents not brushing their own teeth twice daily. [ 4 ]…”

“…stated that those children whose parents had no schooling had significantly higher nursing caries experience. [ 4 ]…”

Risk factors associated with early childhood caries – a case control study

“…In fact, the education level of parents has been previously considered an important socioeconomic indicator related to the prevalence of ECC [9,17].…”

“…Therefore, the determination of the risk factors related to ECC is very important because individuals with greater susceptibility to its development can be identified, and greater attention can be directed to them [9,13].…”