Prevalence and Comparison of Dental Caries experience among 5 to 12 year old school children of Chandigarh using dft/ DMFT and SiC Index: A Cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION

Dental caries is the most common chronic disease of childhood that interferes with normal nutrition intake, speech, and daily routine activities. Dental caries affects people of all ages with the highest priority risk group being school-going children. Hence, this cross-sectional study helps to determine the prevalence and to compare the dental caries experience among 5- to 12-year-old school-going children of Chandigarh using dft/DMFT and SiC index.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The present study was conducted among 3354 school children in the age group of 5 to 12 years. The subjects were selected from four randomly selected schools in Chandigarh. Independent t-test and one-way analysis of variance were used to compare the mean difference at 5% significance level (P < 0.05).

RESULTS

The prevalence of dental caries was found to be 46.9% with a mean dft and DMFT score of 1.36 ± 2.16 and 0.28 ± 0.80, respectively. The SiC index score for primary and permanent dentition were 3.53 ± 2.53 and 0.85 ± 1.20, respectively. The dft scores declined progressively as the age advanced whereas the DMFT scores increased from 5 to 12 years.

CONCLUSION

Caries prevalence was high in primary than permanent dentition. Comparison between dft/DMFT and SiC indices indicated there is a subgroup that presented with a higher caries rate.

Inequalities in dental caries of 5-year-old children in Scotland, 1993-2003

BACKGROUND

Previous research suggests there are significant differences between socio-economic groups in prevalence and amount of decayed missing and filled primary teeth (d3mft). The aim of this study was to describe the variation in obvious tooth decay experience amongst 5-year olds in Scotland and to look at the association between d3mft and deprivation in Scotland.

METHODS

Data derived from 1993 to 2003 National Dental Inspection Programme were modelled using Bayesian multilevel zero-inflated Negative Binomial models, adjusting for age, sex and the deprivation.

RESULTS

Deprivation is positively and significantly associated with having d3mft; the odds of a child in DepCat 7 (most deprived) having d3mft in 1993 were 7.49 (5.03-11.15) that of a child in DepCat 1 (most affluent). Inequalities in the prevalence of d3mft have reduced and in 2003 the odds of a child in DepCat 7 having d3mft were 4.60 (3.47-6.14) that of a child in DepCat 1. However, socio-economic inequalities in the amount of d3mft for those with d3mft have seen no reduction and have in fact increased between 1993 and 2003, with this increase approaching significance.

CONCLUSION

While socio-economic inequalities in prevalence of children with d3mft have decreased in recent years, socio-economic inequalities in the amount of d3mft for those with d3mft persist. This suggests that improvements are only seen for those children with the potential for low d3mft. High d3mft persists among children from more deprived areas. The national target conceals this apparent inconsistency.

Assessing the social class of children from parental information to study possible social inequalities in health outcomes

PURPOSE

When the subjects are children, the assessment of social class must be made indirectly from parental data. We propose correspondence analysis as a method for combining parental information.

METHODS

Four assessment methods were used: father's occupation, mother's occupation, dominant occupation of both, and both combined by means of a correspondence analysis. The results were used to explore social inequalities in dental health. We used data from a survey performed on school children (12- and 15-16-year olds) in the Comunitat Valenciana (Spain). Dental health was measured through prevalence of caries, number of teeth with caries, number of caries in permanent teeth, decayed, missing, and filled teeth score (DMF-T), decayed, missing, and filled surface score (DMF-S), prevalence of DMF>0, community periodontal index of treatment needs (CPITN) and prevalence of CPITN>0.

RESULTS

Correspondence analysis methods reflect the impact of social class on health indicators. They were able to assign a social group to all individuals. The association between social class and oral health was found to be sensitive to the method used.

CONCLUSIONS

Pooling information from both parents is important. Evidence of social inequalities in oral health may or may not be obtained depending on the method used.

Socio-economic effect on caries. Incidence data among Swedish 12-14-year-olds

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether socioeconomic factors are associated with the progression of caries, independently of a previous history of caries.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

In 1995, as part of a longitudinal study of preventive measures, 3373 Swedish 12-year-olds were examined for caries and answered a questionnaire regarding socioeconomic level (SEL), ethnicity and residential area. The examination was repeated in 1997 when 3109 of the teenagers participated. Baseline caries and increments in the incidence of caries were computed. The influence of structural variables on baseline caries as well as a 2-year increment were analysed by means of Poisson regression.

RESULTS

The risk of having caries as 12-year-olds was greater in workers' and immigrants' children, as well as in urban teenagers. The risk of developing new caries was most influenced by an earlier experience of caries. The social gradient was, however, still visible when a previous experience of caries was accounted for. The pattern found in the cross-sectional data from 1995, with more caries in children from workers' families, therefore prevailed in the increment data.

CONCLUSION

Irrespective of earlier caries status there is a social gradient in caries progression. It therefore seems that the preventive methods do not function to the equal benefit of all children.

[Socioeconomic status and child health: the experience of the Paris Child Health Checkup Center]

Data on disadvantaged children's health are rare in France. The objectives of this study were to compare the frequency of various health problems according to socioeconomic status and to determine if socially vulnerable children benefit from health checkups more than others.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted in 5,733 children who underwent a health checkup in Paris between September and December 1998. Three groups were defined according to family income estimation and status: socially vulnerable, at risk of vulnerability, and standard.

RESULTS

Health status of socially vulnerable children is characterized by a higher prevalence of significant overweight (1.2% versus 0.3% in children at risk of vulnerability and 0.4% in the standard group), iron deficiency (25.7% by age ten months versus 16.2% and 10.4%, respectively), and cavities (20.6% by age four years versus 15.6% and 6.4%, respectively). Ametropia are more frequent in children from socially vulnerable or at risk of vulnerability groups, but not often corrected. These children present more psychomotor disorders than the others. Following checkups, management of observed health problems is identical in the three groups.

CONCLUSION

Prevalence of studied troubles is higher in children living in low socioeconomic condition. Following checkups, these children have access to health care services in most cases. Long-term evaluation of the benefit of such health examinations should be performed.