Dental caries prevalence in the children of age group 6 and 12 years on the basis of various oral hygiene factors in the Himachal Population: A Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Aim: Dental caries prevalence determination among 6 and 12 year old children in relation to oral hygiene aids, brushing frequency and dental visits.

Materials and Methods: To determine dental caries prevalence, a cross sectional study was conducted among 6 and 12 year old children in relation to oral hygiene aids, brushing frequency and dental visits. 1004 children participated in the study out of which 437 belonged to 6 year and 567 belonged to 12 year old children.

Results: Dental caries prevalence was found to be higher in children of 6 years of age (63.6%) than that of 12 years (53.6%) (p = 0.001). Mean DMFT was 2.47 ± 2.75 for 6-year-old children and 1.18 ± 1.33 for 12-year-old children. Decayed teeth prevalence was significantly more among children with no brushing (92.9%) and 2-3 times a month (100%) as compared to those who brush daily (57.9%) or twice a day (55.2%) (p=0.039). Decayed teeth prevalence was significantly more among children with no aid in comparison to using any aid for cleaning teeth (p=0.048). A non-significant difference was found in the decayed teeth prevalence among children who had never been to a dentist, visited within last 12 months and who visited > 12 months ago.

Conclusion: This study gives a brief insight into the dental caries in relation to various factors among 6 and 12 year old children. It is however important to carry out an in-depth screening survey on a larger population to draw definite conclusions about dental caries.