Dental caries pattern and predisposing oral hygiene related factors in Nigerian preschool children

Prevalence of dental caries and associated risk factors in children living with disabilities in Rwanda: a cross-sectional study

Introduction

several studies have been done on children with disabilities, and the results have shown that these particular individuals are more prone to developing various abnormal oral conditions. However, little is known about the oral health conditions among children with disabilities in Rwanda. This study aims to determine the prevalence of dental caries and associated risk factors among children with disabilities.

Methods

a cross-sectional study conducted among 226 randomly selected children living with physical disabilities; learning, intellectual and developmental disabilities; deafness, blindness and hearing impairment disabilities aged between 7 and 20 years old, who live and/or are under the care of NYANZA Home de la Vierge des Pauvres (HVP) GATAGARA. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were done using SPPS version 20 at 95% confidence interval. The significance level was set at p<0.05.

Results

the prevalence of dental caries found in children with disabilities is 42.4%. In bivariate analysis age (p=0.003), frequency of sugary food consumption (p=0.001) and oral hygiene status (p=0.000) are respectively significantly associated with dental caries. In logistic regression model, children who take once or more times per day sugary food like biscuits, cake, chocolates and sweets are almost 6 times higher at risk of developing dental caries [OR: 5.945, CI: 1.187; 29.774, P=0.03) while a good oral hygiene status was protective against dental caries [OR: 0.296, CI: 0.159; 0.550, P=0.000].

Conclusion

dental caries is a reality among children living with disabilities. Appropriate measures should be taken to protect these children and these measures should mainly focus on identified factors.

Caries risk profile of preschool children in the City of Niš

Introduction: Primary caries prevention from the earliest childhood has multiple significance. Its efficacy is largely conditioned by the knowledge of the caries risk profile of the subpopulation at risk, as an important prerequisite for developing effective strategies and measures for disease prevention and control. Aim: To assess the caries risk profile of preschool children in the City of Niš using a reduced computer Cariogram ® model. Material and methods: To realize the set objectives, a cross-sectional study was conducted, which included preschool children, aged 36-48 months, with permanent residence in the City of Niš since birth. The collection of data was done by interviewing mothers, and by the clinical examination of subjects. The caries risk profile of the subjects was performed using a reduced Cariogram ® model. Results: The study included 276 subjects of preschool age, mean age 41.28 ± 4.40 months. The highest percentage of subjects has a moderate caries risk, with an average of 50% chance of avoiding a new carious lesion in the future. In the assessed caries risk profile of children, the most vulnerable sectors are "susceptibility" (18%) and "bacteria" (14%), related to the use of fluoride by children of this age and their oral hygiene. The highest percentage of subjects belongs to the moderate caries risk group. Conclusion: According to the conducted study, insufficient exposure of teeth to fluoride and inadequate oral hygiene may be considered significant caries risk factors in preschool children, which should be considered when choosing measures and strategies for disease prevention and control. Also, it is necessary to reconsider the time of diagnostic examinations to reduce the prevalence of caries and its negative consequences at this age to a minimum.

General anxiety, dental anxiety, digit sucking, caries and oral hygiene status of children resident in a semi-urban population in Nigeria

BACKGROUND

Digit sucking can represent untreated anxiety or other emotional problems. The aim of this study was to determine if digit sucking is a predictor of general anxiety and dental anxiety; and if general and dental anxiety are associated with caries and oral hygiene status of children resident in sub-urban Nigeria.

METHODS

This was a secondary data analysis of a household survey conducted in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. The level of general anxiety and dental anxiety of 450 6 to12 year old children were measured using the Revised Child Manifest Anxiety Scale and Dental Subscale of the Child Fear Survey Schedule respectively. Presence of digit sucking habit, caries and oral hygiene status were determined. General anxiety and dental anxiety scores were dichotomized into low and high levels respectively. Logistic regression was conducted to determine if digit sucking was a predictor of general anxiety and dental anxiety; and if general anxiety and dental anxiety were predictors caries and good oral hygiene status. Adjustments were made for age and sex.

RESULTS

Digit sucking is not a significant predictor of dental anxiety (p = 0.99) and general anxiety (p = 0.79). Children with high general anxiety (AOR: 5.02; 95% CI: 2.9-9.74; p <  0.001) and high dental anxiety (AOR: 1.74; 95% CI: 1.15-2.65; p = 0.009) had higher odds of having caries and good oral hygiene respectively.

CONCLUSION

Digit sucking was not a significant predictor of general anxiety and dental anxiety. General and dental anxiety however, had effects on the likelihood of having caries and good oral hygiene.

Oral Hygiene Practices among Saudi Arabian Children and Its Relation to Their Dental Caries Status

Dental caries is one of the most common preventable diseases occurring among children. The aim here is to survey the oral hygiene practices that are commonly followed by Arab children and to see its relationship with their dental caries status. A cross-sectional study with multistage random sampling technique was conducted. Sociodemographic data and information on oral hygiene practices like use of toothbrush, dental floss, siwak, frequency of brushing along with number of snack between meals per day, and consumption of sugar per day was obtained. Presence of plaque on tooth surfaces was reported using plaque index, which was followed by DMFT index to determine the dental caries status. Among the sample of 500 school children, the mean plaque score in male (mean = 0.69; SD = 0.50) was slightly higher than the female (mean = 0.66; SD = 0.46). Increased frequency of snacks (P=0.05; ß=0.08; CI = -0.00, 0.09) and sugar consumption (P=0.01; ß=0.16; CI = 0.04, 0.27) per day significantly showed higher values of DMFT. Also, the odds of dental caries among the school children who were irregular in brushing their teeth was higher in contrast to the children brushing once (P=0.03; OR = 0.89; CI = 0.70, 1.12) or twice (P=0.03; OR = 0.80; CI = 0.64, 0.93) per day. It is recommended that the dental public health practitioners here should consider the effect of oral hygiene practices on oral health status in order to design the future health promotion interventions.

Prevalence of developmental dental hard-tissue anomalies and association with caries and oral hygiene status of children in Southwestern, Nigeria

BACKGROUND

Developmental dental hard tissue anomalies are often associated with oral health problems. This study determined the clinical prevalence of developmental dental hard tissue anomalies in the permanent dentition of children resident in southwestern Nigeria and its association with dental caries and poor oral hygiene status.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study recruiting 1565 school children, 12 to 15 year old attending schools in Ibadan, Oyo State and Ile-Ife, Osun State. All eligible study participants had oral examinations conducted to determine presence of developmental hard dental tissue anomalies, caries and oral hygiene status. The prevalence of developmental dental hard tissue anomalies was determined. Logistic Poisson regression was used to determine the association of between developmental dental hard tissue anomalies, caries and oral hygiene status.

RESULTS

Only 65 (4.2 %) children had clinically diagnosed developmental dental hard tissue anomalies. The most prevalent anomaly was enamel hypoplasia (2.2 %). More females (p = 0.003) and more children with middle socioeconomic class (p = 0.001) had enamel hypoplasia. The probability of having poor oral hygiene was significantly increased for children with developmental dental anomalies (APR: 0.07; 95 % CI: 0.03 - 0.12; p = 0.002). The probability of having caries was insignificantly increased for children with developmental dental hard tissue anomalies (APR: 0.005; 95 % CI: -0.03 - 0.04; p = 0.08).

CONCLUSION

The most prevalence clinically detectable developmental dental hard tissue anomalies for the study population was enamel hypoplasia. The presence of developmental dental hard tissue anomalies significantly increased the chances of having poor oral hygiene but not caries. Further studies are required to understand if poor oral hygiene is associated with dental caries in children with developmental dental hard tissue anomalies.

Evaluation of parental awareness regarding their child's oral hygiene

OBJECTIVES

To determine parental awareness about their child's oral hygiene and its associated factors.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 396 parents and their 3- to 6-year-old children were selected by randomized cluster sampling from Shiraz kindergartens in 2013. Parents completed a questionnaire on their perception of their child's oral hygiene. The children received a dental examination, and their dental cleaning status was determined using Simplified Debris Index. Parental awareness was determined by comparing parents' perception of their child's oral hygiene with the results of the dental examination. Associations between demographic factors and parental awareness were evaluated.

RESULTS

Sixty per cent of the parents were aware of their child's teeth cleaning status. Higher percentage of parents with university degree (P < 0.001) and parents whose child did not have a previous dental visit (P < 0.001) were aware. Also, more aware mothers were employed compared with homemakers (P = 0.002). Children of aware parents had lower dmft (P < 0.001) and better oral hygiene (P = 0.001) than those of unaware parents. Parents who perceived overall oral health status of their child as good (P < 0.001) as well as those who believed that their child did not have any cavities (P < 0.001) were more likely to be aware of their child's teeth cleaning than those who perceived otherwise.

CONCLUSION

Many parents were not aware of their child's oral hygiene. Educational interventions should be provided to young families to increase parental knowledge and skills that help them recognize their child's dental needs. The interventions are more necessary for low socioeconomic parents and for the parents of children with poor oral hygiene.

Digit Sucking Habit and Association with Dental Caries and Oral Hygiene Status of Children Aged 6 Months to 12 Years Resident in Semi-Urban Nigeria

Objectives

Non-nutritive sucking (NNS) is a common behavior in childhood. The association between digit sucking, dental caries and oral health has been studied with inconclusive results. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of, and the association between digit sucking, caries and oral hygiene status of children age six months to 12 years, resident in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in Ife Central Local Government Area of Osun State. Data were collected through a household survey using a multi-stage sampling procedure from children between six months and 12 years. Details of each child’s socio-demographic characteristics, digit sucking habits, caries status and oral health status were collected. The association between digit sucking, caries status and oral hygiene status was determined using Chi square and Logistic regression.

Results

The mean age of the 992 study participants was 5.8 ± (3.2) years. The prevalence of digit sucking, caries and poor oral hygiene were 7.2%, 10.5% and 2.4% respectively. The mean dmft score was 0.22 ± (0.80), mean DMFT score was 0.04 ± (0.30) while mean Oral Hygiene Index score was 1.27 ± (0.73). Digit sucking increased the odds of having caries (OR: 1.28; CI: 0.58–2.81) but decreased the odds of having poor oral hygiene (OR: 0.58; CI: 0.34–1.01) insignificantly.

Conclusions

Digit sucking was not a significant predictor of caries and oral hygiene status, although the odds of having caries increased while the odds of having poor oral hygiene decreased with digit sucking.

Prevalence, and early childhood caries risk indicators in preschool children in suburban Nigeria

BACKGROUND

Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is defined as the presence of caries lesion in an primary tooth in children below the age of 71 months. It is a significant public health problem with consequences for the growth and development of affected children. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and ECC risk indicators in a suburban population in Nigeria.

METHODS

The data of 497 children aged 6 months to 71 months who were recruited through a household survey conducted in Ile-Ife, Nigeria was analysed for prevalence of ECC and risk indicators. Information on children's ages, sex, socioeconomic status, tooth brushing habits, sugary snacks consumption, use of fluoridated toothpaste, birth rank, infant-feeding practices, breastfeeding practices, maternal age at childbirth, and maternal knowledge of oral health was obtained. Children's oral hygiene and caries status was also determined. Risk factors associated with ECC were determined using logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

Thirty-three (6.6%) children had ECC. Four (0.8%) had severe ECC. The four risk indicators for ECC were the child's gender, mothers' knowledge of oral health, consumption of sugary snacks in between meals more than three times a day, and the child's oral hygiene status. Females (PR: -0.06; 95% CI: -0.01- -0.01; p = 0.02), and children with mothers who had good knowledge of oral health (PR: -0.06; 95% CI: -0.11--0.008; p = 0.02) were less likely to have ECC. Children who consumed sugary snacks in between meals three times a day or more (PR: 0.05; CI: 0.003 - 0.01; P = 0.04) and children with fair oral hygiene (PR: 0.05; 95% CI: 0.005-0.10; p = 0.03) were more likely to have ECC.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of ECC in the study population was low. Promoting good oral hygiene practices and enhancing mothers' knowledge of oral health may help reduce further, the risk for ECC in the study population.

Impact of oral hygiene on oral health-related quality of life of preschool children

OBJECTIVES

To assess the impact of oral hygiene of preschool children and parental attitude on children's oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL).

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 396 children of Shiraz kindergartens were selected by a randomized cluster sampling. Children's oral hygiene was assessed using the Simplified Debris Index (DI-S) and a self-made questionnaire about oral hygiene habits. Children's OHRQoL was evaluated by the Farsi version of Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (F-ECOHIS). The effect of oral hygiene determinants on OHRQoL was measured using Pearson and Spearman correlation, independent-sample t-test and anova.

RESULTS

Children's mean DI-S and F-ECOHIS scores were 1.19 (± 0.77) and 19.36 (±8.42), respectively. Only 75% of the children had their teeth brushed once a day or more, and in 28%, toothbrushing had started before 2 years of age. DI-S values (P < 0.001) and frequency of toothbrushing (P < 0.001) had a statistically significant impact on OHRQoL of the children. Children's OHRQoL was also significantly associated with parents' attitude towards the importance of brushing deciduous teeth (P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Oral health status of preschool children in Shiraz was less than optimal and had a significant impact on their OHRQoL. Therefore, improvement of children's OHRQoL could be achieved by improving their home dental care. Strategies promoting parental attitude about the importance of children's toothbrushing may significantly influence children's oral hygiene and are highly recommended.

Programme guidelines for promoting good oral health for children in Nigeria: a position paper

BACKGROUND

The objective of this paper is to draw attention to the oral health needs of children in Nigeria, and promote the use of appropriate interventions for disease prevention in the population. It also evaluates the value of the ongoing twice-daily tooth brushing campaign, which focuses on promoting good periodontal health and its relevance for children in Nigeria.

DISCUSSION

The main oral health burden for children in Nigeria is untreated dental caries, attributable to low utilization of oral health facilities. While there is a strong association between oral hygiene status and caries occurrence, no research had established an association between frequency of tooth brushing and caries in children in Nigeria. Prevalence of caries and gingivitis is low, despite the fact that a majority of children brush once a day and most of them have fair oral hygiene. Campaigns that promote twice daily brushing to prevent chronic periodontitis in children are not driven by evidences supporting the local epidemic, and therefore cannot be considered as efficient use of the limited resources available.

SUMMARY

Existing evidences show that the main oral health need of children in Nigeria is the management of untreated caries. Promoting the treatment of caries should be the primary focus of oral health programmes for children in Nigeria, as this would reduce further risks of developing new carious lesions. Public health campaigns should focus efforts at creating demand for oral health care services, for both preventive and curative purposes.

Prevalence of demarcated hypomineralisation defects in second primary molars in Iraqi children

BACKGROUND

Demarcated hypomineralization lesions are not uncommon in second primary molars. Data on the prevalence of hypomineralized second primary molars (HSPM) are scarce.

AIM

To investigate the prevalence of HSPM, assess the relationship between HSPM and first permanent molars previously diagnosed with demarcated lesions and to determine the severity of HSPM in relation to dental caries severity.

DESIGN

A cluster sample of 809, 7- to 9-year-old children was examined. The scoring criteria proposed by the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry for hypomineralization in permanent dentition were adapted to score HSPMs. The International Caries Detection and Assessment System was used to assess caries status in the second primary molar of the children diagnosed with demarcated defects. The examination was carried out in schools by a calibrated dentist.

RESULTS

Of the children examined, 53 (6.6%) had hypomineralization defects in at least one second primary molar. Combinations of affected first permanent and second primary molars were reported in 21 (39.6%) of cases. Severe carious lesions were found mostly in teeth with enamel breakdown.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of HSPM was 6.6%. Over one-third of affected second primary molars were associated with demarcated lesions in the first permanent molars. The chance of severe caries increased with the increase in the demarcated lesion severity.

Do maternal factors influence the dental health status of Nigerian pre-school children?

OBJECTIVE

This study was designed to investigate the relationship between maternal related factors and the dental health status of pre-school children in Lagos State, Nigeria.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study of 404 pairs of mothers and their pre-school children was conducted at two selected primary health centres in Lagos State Nigeria. An interviewer administered questionnaire recorded the mother's socio-demographic characteristics and assessed her perception of her child's dental needs, attitude to oral disease prevention, level of dental health knowledge and attitude to oral health. The child's dental status was assessed using the dft index (caries status) and the simplified oral hygiene index. Data analysis tools included Spearman's correlation coefficient and multivariate logistic regression.

RESULTS

Maternal age, maternal education, location of residence, maternal knowledge, and attitudes were all positively correlated with the child's caries and oral hygiene status. There were statistically significant correlations between maternal attitude and the oral hygiene index (P = 0.01) and dft score (P = 0.001). Maternal age also had a significant relationship with the child's caries status (P = 0.003).

CONCLUSION

This study concluded that maternal age and attitude were important determinants of caries experience whereas the mother's attitude was an important determinant of oral cleanliness in pre-school children in Lagos State Nigeria.