The Oral Health Situation of 12-Year-Old School Children in the Rural Region of Ilembula in Southwestern Tanzania: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

There has been no research on the prevalence of and factors associated with dental caries in rural southwestern Tanzania among schoolchildren. Determining the prevalence of and factors associated with dental caries will help to assess the need for dental intervention and prophylactic measures among children in the region. In February 2020, a cross-sectional study was conducted in the Wanging’ombe District of the Ilembula Ward. The data were collected through clinical examinations and personal interviews at two primary schools. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify potential risk indicators for caries. The study included 319 students aged 11–12 years (average 11.92 ± 0.27 years). The mean Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth index was 0.24 ± 0.68, and the mean Specific affected Caries Index was 1.66 ± 0.9. The greatest influences on the caries risk were poor oral hygiene (OR 8.05, 95% CI 0.49–133.23), low tooth brushing frequency (OR 3.03, 95% CI 1.26–7.26) and low level of education in parents (OR 2.63, 95% CI 0.99–6.98). Dental caries was low among students in rural areas in the Wanging’ombe District.

Influence of Tooth Brushing and Previous Dental Visits on Dental Caries Status among Saudi Arabian Children

“…This should begin at the time of the eruption of the primary teeth. When fluoride toothpaste is used, brushing the teeth can help to deliver fluoride to the tooth surfaces, which can help to keep the teeth clean [ 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 ]. The results of the present study suggested that tooth brushing habit is one of the significant factors that can have an effect on the dmft scores of the child.…”

Dental Caries Pattern Amongst Tanzanian Children: National Oral Health Survey

“… 5 Relatively recent small-scale studies in Tanzanian adolescents report caries prevalence of 8.8% to 15.0% and mean DMFT of 0.13 (SD = 0.5) to 0.24 (SD = 0.68) in Northern and Southwest Tanzania, respectively. 7 , 8 These studies suggest no obvious increase in caries experience amongst children in Tanzania since the previous national survey report in 2005. 9 …”

“… 25 The findings are comparable to many other findings in Tanzania, the African region, and Asia. 7 , 8 , 13 , 14 …”

“… 13 Most of the reports within the African region, as well as in Asia, indicate a significantly higher proportion of decayed components of both deciduous and permanent teeth. 7 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 It is therefore a common encounter in low-income countries to find children enduring pain due to untreated caries. This has a far-reaching effect on the quality of life of children and more so where the evidence of social gradient in caries among children within the region.…”

Subgroup detection-based dental caries status and inequalities trend exploration: A nationwide, 10-year-repeated cross-sectional study

“…The unequal distribution of economic development levels and human resources for oral health is be a major reason for the regional differences in dental caries (13). In addition, other studies show that the dental caries status of 12-year-old adolescents depends on socioeconomic factors (14,15), education in parents (16), and oral hygiene behaviors (17)(18)(19).…”