Prevalence of caries in primary school children in Saudi Arabia

Association between different behavioral factors and dental caries among children attending the dental clinics in a sample from Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to assess the association between different behavioral factors and the prevalence of dental caries among children attending the dental clinic in a sample from the Hail and Tabuk regions, Saudi Arabia.

METHOD

A cross-sectional study design was employed to determine the burden of dental caries in teeth and key associated factors among 6-12-year-old children who attended different dental clinics. The data was recruited from Hail and Tabuk districts, Saudi Arabia. The study included only Saudi nationals, whose parents could fill out the self-administered questionnaire and provide informed consent for their child's dental examination at clinics. Children underwent a simple dental examination based on the World Health Organization diagnostic criteria for oral health surveys. The Decayed, Missed, Filled Tooth (DMFT) index developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) was utilized to assess dental caries. Descriptive statistics were performed to describe categorical variables. The mean DMFT was compared between girls' and boys' and the children from Hail and Tabuk regions using the Mann-Whitney U-test. The chi-square test was used to examine the association between different behavioral factors and the prevalence of dental caries.

RESULTS

Of the total 399 children examined, 203 (50.9%) were boys, whilst 196 (49.1%) were girls. The prevalence of dental caries was correlated with the cleaning tool, parental educational level, dental visits, and sugar consumption (p < 0.05). However, brushing frequency failed to demonstrate a correlation with the prevalence of dental caries (p > 0.05). The total mean DMFT for the studied sample was 7.81 (SD ± 1.9). Caries' experience was made up mainly of decayed teeth. Decayed teeth made up an average of 3.30 (SD ± 1.07). The total mean of missing and filling teeth was 2.51 (SD ± 0.99) and 1.99 (SD ± 1.26) respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean DMFT and gender or between Hail and Tabuk (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Saudi Arabia continues to have a high prevalence of dental caries compared to the global norm.

Analysis of Trends in Demographic Distribution of Dental Workforce in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Dental professionals are playing an imperative role in the healthcare system. It is important to distribute the dental workforce across the country. Therefore, this study aimed at analyzing the recent distribution of the dental workforce in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and determining the current dentist-to-population ratio in the KSA. This is a cross-sectional study focused on the dental workforces working in the KSA between 2015 and 2020. Complete data of dentists working in the KSA with different professional ranks were obtained. The data were stratified by gender, professional rank (Saudi and non-Saudi), area of working (13 provinces in the KSA), and sector of working (public and private). A complete list of all dental universities was obtained to identify the increasing number of dental institutes at this current moment. In addition, the dentist-to-population ratio was also evaluated based on the current inhabitant in the KSA and the total dental surgeons. There are a total of 27181 dental surgeons and 8022 dental auxiliaries registered in different specialties as of 2020. Saudi citizens are holding the majority of the posts in both dentist and dental auxiliary categories. The percentage of males and female is slightly higher in dentists and dental auxiliaries, respectively. It also indicated that where most of the dental personnel work in the private sector, dental auxiliaries work in the public sector. Moreover, the highest number of dental workforces is identified in the Riyadh region among all the 13 provinces. Based on the databases, the current dentist-to-population ratio is 1 : 1288.16. In conclusion, the number of dental professionals is ample; however, rural areas lack specialists. Saudi dentists are progressively replacing foreign dentists in different professional ranks working in the KSA.

The Effect of Parental Education and Socioeconomic Status on Dental Caries among Saudi Children

Parental attitudes toward the importance of oral hygiene have an impact on the formation of their children’s oral habits and the prevalence of oral diseases. Our aim was to assess the association between parents’ education and socioeconomic status and their children’s oral health. A cross-sectional study was conducted between the years of 2018 and 2020 in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia among primary school children. Two pre-calibrated dentists performed the clinical examination of the children, and a self-administered validated questionnaire was obtained from their parents. Clinical examination was performed on 589 children with an age range of 3 to 14 years, where 47% were males and 53% were females, 70% with dental caries. Both parents with higher education and a high monthly income were significantly associated with lower prevalence of decayed teeth in their children, respectively. Mother’s education, age, gender and application of sealant were found significantly associated with the high prevalence of caries. High prevalence of tooth decay was reported among school children in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. A high educational level of parents and high income were correlated with a lower prevalence of decayed teeth, similarly to the situation in the case of presence of medical insurance.

Barriers of Restorative Care among Dental Patients in Jeddah: A Cross-sectional Analytical Survey

Introduction:

The epidemiological data in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia indicate that there has been increased prevalence of dental caries and increased treatment needs, with negligible rates of restorative care among the population. The restorative treatments done among the population are very limited. There are no published reports that systematically document the barriers of restorative care among the residents of Jeddah.

Aim:

This present paper is a humble attempt toward the study of barriers of restorative care and systematic documentation of the dental patients in a private dental school in Jeddah.

Materials and Methods:

The methodology adopted by the study is the preparation of a questionnaire after validation and analyzing the responses from the sample of the universe of dental patients in Jeddah. The questionnaire broadly included (1) fear of consulting a dentist, (2) dental anxiety/fear to receive dental care, (3)cost of dental treatment, (4) fee for restoration, (5) pain, and (6) experience of a dentist (fear that a student may treat them). The completed questionnaire of 22 questions was proofread by a group of general dentists to check for clarity and meaning of the statements. After the changes, the questionnaire was distributed to 275 patients. The analysis of the data in the study was done by the SPSS version 23. Chi-square was calculated for the analyses of all the independent variables.

Results:

41.4% of people have fear to visit a dentist. Hence, this is one of the barriers of restoration. Nearly 50% have responded that restorative treatment is painful. In addition, the experience of the dentist has an impact on the respondents getting treatments in the dental clinic. 76% of the respondents have a fear when a student who has lesser experience will be treating them in the dental clinic.

Conclusion:

Dentists have to distinguish between perceived barriers and the real barriers to choosing restorative treatments.

A Comparison of Dental Caries in Urban and Rural Children of the Riyadh Region of Saudi Arabia

Background and Aim: The data presented in this study aimed to document caries prevalence and severity among a representative sample of 6, 12, and 15 years old Saudi Children.

Methodology: The study examined a total of 1,986 school children from 75 schools in urban and rural areas of Riyadh region, Saudi Arabia. Children having one or more dental caries lesion were used to determine prevalence of dental caries. Total number of decayed filled teeth (dft) was used to assess caries severity in the 6 years group while the DMFT was used to assess severity of dental caries at the 12 and 15 years age group.

Results: The caries prevalence was 85.77% in the 6 years group, 64.98% in the 12 years group, and 71.35% in the 15 years group. Mean dft was 1.4 (SD ± 1.1). The mean DMFT was 1.72 (SD ± 0.49) at 12 years and 2.66 (SD ± 0.55) at 15 years. Both caries rate and severity were higher in rural areas than urban areas although the differences were not statistically significant.

Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the prevalence and severity of dental caries in Saudi Arabia remain high, when compared to global averages.

Prevalence of dental caries and associated factors among primary school children: a population-based cross-sectional study in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Background

Dental caries is a preventable childhood disease, but public health efforts are hampered due to limited information on associated factors in vulnerable populations. Our study was aimed at estimating the prevalence of dental caries and identifying key associated factors in four major risk domains, including socioeconomic factors, child oral health behavior and practices, child feeding practices, and dietary habits among primary school children in Saudi Arabia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study design was used to recruit 578 male Saudi primary school children, aged 6–8 years, from 12 primary schools in five different regions of Riyadh. Children were clinically screened to detect carious lesions in primary teeth according to World Health Organization’s criteria. Structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on social and individual factors from the parents. The odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals of associated factors for dental caries were computed using logistic regression models; key factors were identified by systematic selection process that accounted for multicollinearity and bias correction.

Results

Dental caries was prevalent among children (83%, 95% confidence interval 79.7–86.0%). Individual factors, including irregular brushing, late adoption of brushing habit, consulting dentist for symptomatic treatment, lack of breast feeding, sleeping with a bottle in mouth, habit of snacking between meals, low consumption of fruits, and frequent consumption of soft drinks and flavored milk, were predominantly associated with dental caries in children, instead of socioeconomic factors (p < 0.05, adjusted R-square 80%).

Conclusion

Dental caries were prevalent in school children, and individual factors were predominantly associated with the disease.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12199-018-0750-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Impact of Oral Health Education on Oral Health Knowledge of Private School Children in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia

Aims and Objectives:

To assess the early effect of oral health education on oral health knowledge of primary and intermediate school students of private schools by utilizing pre/post questionnaires data from oral health educational projects in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia. Second, to examine topic-specific knowledge differences between genders, nationalities, and educational levels of the students.

Materials and Methods:

Cross-sectional oral health educational data of private school students (n = 1279) in primary and intermediate levels were extracted from the King Salman Centre for Children's Health (KSCCH) projects undertaken by Riyadh Colleges of Dentistry and Pharmacy. Student's pre- and post-test data were analyzed for changes in oral health knowledge. Overall knowledge score and topic-specific knowledge scores were calculated and the differences between gender, nationality, and educational level were examined using Mann–Whitney U-test. Pre/post change in the oral health knowledge was evaluated by Wilcoxon's sign rank test.

Results:

Immediately, after oral health educational session high knowledge score category showed an increase of 25.6%, medium and low knowledge score categories showed −3.2% and −22.3% decrease, and this change was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Comparison of correct responses between pre- and post-test showed statistically significant (P < 0.05) increase in all the questions except for the timing of tooth brushing. Females, non-Saudi nationals and students in primary level of education showed significantly high mean knowledge (P < 0.001) at posttest assessment.

Conclusion:

Primary and intermediate private school student's overall, and topic-specific oral health knowledge improved immediately after educational intervention provided by KSCCH. High knowledge gain was observed among female non-Saudi primary school students.

Oral health status and treatment needs among primary school going children in Nagrota Bagwan block of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh

Background:

Oral diseases such as gingival diseases and dental caries affect about 80% of the school students worldwide. The study was taken up with the aim to evaluate the oral health status and treatment need in the School going children of Nagrota Bagwan Block of Kangra District, Himachal Pradesh.

Materials and Methods:

A total number of 3069 school children in the age group of 5-12 years studying in 96 government primary schools of study area were surveyed to find out the Oral Hygiene Index simplified (OHI-S) scores, community periodontal index (CPI) scores, dental caries and treatment need using dentition status and treatment need index (WHO diagnostic criteria, 1997).

Results:

The mean OHI-S was 2.7 ± 2.81and 2.8 ± 2.99 in 5-8 and 9-12 years age group, respectively. The gingival bleeding was observed in 76.8% and 75.9%, calculus in 10.2% and 18.3% in 5-8 and 9-12 years age group, respectively. The overall caries prevalence of subjects was 58.4% with high caries prevalence in females as compared to males and in 9-12 years age group as compared to 5-8 years age group. The mean dmft/DMFT was 2.05 ± 4.13 and 2.56 ± 4.20 in 5-8 years and 9-12 years age group, respectively. Treatment need observed was 62.3% and 75.3% in 5-8 and 9-12 years age group, respectively.

Conclusion:

The study demonstrated that school children in Nagrota Bagwan, Kangra district suffer from high prevalence of dental caries and have high treatment need as well as poor oral hygiene and gingival health status.

Medical students' child oral-health-related knowledge, practices and attitudes

OBJECTIVE

This study evaluated medical interns' oral health knowledge, and other factors influencing their ability and willingness to perform oral-health-related practices for high-caries-risk children.

METHODS

A 15-item survey was emailed to all eligible graduating fifth-year medical students at King Khalid University Hospital to address these areas of interest. Chi-square statistics and logistic regression models were used to analyse data.

RESULTS

One-hundred and twenty-one (49%) usable surveys were returned from two mailings. On questions regarding comfort levels when performing oral-health-related practices on children under age 3, physicians noted high levels of comfort with all specified oral health practices. Regarding satisfaction of students with medical training, the majority of respondents (87.5%) rated their medical training as fair or poor in preparing them for oral health assessments compared to only 35%, 29% and 7% of respondents giving fair or poor ratings to child abuse identification, caring for special needs patients and primary care paediatric practice, respectively. Additionally, although 90% of respondents noted that the role of primary physicians in counselling/referring children with oral health was important, 60% did not agree with the AAPD and AAP guidelines that state that all children should be referred to a dentist by 12 months of age. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed several statistically significant variables that predict the likelihood of performing various oral-health-related practices. The choice of public-health-oriented future clinical goals, the level of oral health knowledge, how interns rated their oral health training in medical school and the average number of children seen per week, all--to varying degrees--proved important predicator variables for the likelihood of performing them once in practice.

CONCLUSIONS

More oral-health-related training of medical students seems warranted and could improve their interest in providing oral-health-related screening and referrals in practice. Increasing student exposure to child patients and increasing exposures to oral health knowledge and problems could be targeted towards students interested in primary care and public health to use resources most efficiently in the effort to combat the growing caries levels amongst young children in Saudi Arabia.

Prevalence of first permanent molar caries in and its relationship to the dental knowledge of 9-12-year olds from jeddah, kingdom of saudi arabia

The carious status of the first permanent molar (FPM) was studied in 432 school children (aged 9–12 years) from a randomly selected primary schools from Sharfia area of Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The sample consisted of 108 children from each age group of 9, 10, 11, and 12 years old. In total, 24.5% had all of their FPMs sound and 6% had all FPMs carious. The prevalence of four sound FPMs varied according to age with the highest (33%) amongst the nine-year olds and the lowest (16.5%) in the oldest children (12 years). Almost one-third (32.5%) of the children, who knew the age of eruption of the FPMs, had all of their molars sound. The children who had received advice regarding oral hygiene from a dentist or parent had more sound FPMs compared to the children who did not receive any advice. The number of carious FPMs increased with age. The prevalence of caries of the FPM was high and increased with increasing age. The level of knowledge had a positive correlation with the caries levels amongst this cohort of scholars.

In vitro cariostatic effects of various iron supplements on the initiation of dental caries

Previous animal and laboratory studies have shown the possible cariostatic effect of iron. The purpose of this study was to in vitro study the effect of different concentrations of four iron supplements on the initiation of dental caries.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Four products of iron supplements were used namely fre-in-sol, ferotonic, feromin and ferose. Two hundred extracted teeth were distributed randomly into 10 groups. Eight groups were from the four iron products in two concentrations (100% and 50%) in addition to the positive and negative control groups. Mutans streptococci bacteria (6715) grown in Todd Hewitt Broth were used. Assessment of decalcification and cavitation was done daily for 60 days.

RESULTS

It showed that different iron - supplement products play cariostatic effect in the initiation of the dental caries. With the exception of 100% and 50% ferose, both 100% and 50% concentrations of all supplements have cariostatic effect. The mean dates for decalcification varied with lowest for the positive control (12.2 days) and the highest was for 50% feromin. Cavitation was seen in the positive control and 100% ferose groups with mean on the first day of cavitation of 57 days.

CONCLUSION

It was concluded that iron may have cariostatic effect on the in vitro development of dental caries in human teeth.

Caries in preschool children in Amman, Jordan and the relationship to socio-demographic factors

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence and severity of caries in children attending kindergartens in Amman and the relationship between caries experience and socio-demographic factors including age, social class based on the father's occupation, the level of mother's education and the fee level of the kindergarten attended.

DESIGN

Cross sectional survey including a dental examination of the child and a questionnaire completed by the parents.

SETTING

Kindergarten schools in Amman.

PARTICIPANTS

1,140 children including 569 4-year-olds and 571 5-year-olds.

RESULTS

Prevalence of caries in 4 year olds was 62% and in 5 year olds it was 73%. The dmft values were 3.1 and 4.1 in 4 and 5 year olds respectively. Lower caries prevalence was recorded for children of families where the father had a non-manual occupation, those whose mothers had higher levels of educational attainment and for children attending kindergartens with higher tuition fees.

CONCLUSION

Caries prevalence and severity in children attending kindergarten schools in Amman are similar to those seen in studies of children of the same age in Saudi Arabia and higher than those in children in westernised countries such as the UK. As in other countries, caries experience in young children in Amman is clearly related to social factors. Findings illustrate the need for effective oral health promotion accessible to all social groups in this middle eastern capital. Fee scale of the schools appears to be an effective measure to use in designing appropriate strategies.

Erosion, caries and rampant caries in preschool children in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of dental erosion in preschool children in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and to relate this to caries and rampant caries in the same children.

METHODS

A sample of 987 children (2-5 years) was drawn from 17 kindergartens. Clinical examinations were carried out under standardised conditions by a trained and calibrated examiner (M.Al-M.). Measurement of erosion was confined to primary maxillary incisors and used a scoring system and criteria based on those used in the UK National Survey of Child Dental Health. Caries was diagnosed using BASCD criteria. Rampant caries was defined as caries affecting the smooth surfaces of two or more maxillary incisors.

RESULTS

Of the 987 children, 309 (31%) had evidence of erosion. For 186 children this was confined to enamel but for 123 it involved dentine and/or pulp. Caries were diagnosed in 720 (73%) of the children and rampant caries in 336 (34%). The mean dmft for the 987 children was 4.80 (+/-4.87). Of the 384 children who had caries but not rampant caries, 141 (37%) had erosion, a significantly higher proportion than the 72 (27%) out of 267 who were clinically caries free (SND=2.61, P<0.01). Of the 336 with rampant caries, 96 (29%) also had evidence of erosion.

CONCLUSIONS

The level of erosion was similar to that seen in children of an equivalent age in the UK. Caries was a risk factor for erosion in this group of children.

Caries experience of urban and rural children in Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVE

Caries experience and restorative treatment needs often are reported to be higher in urban than rural areas in developing countries. The purpose of this study was to compare caries experience in 12- and 13-year-old children in urban and rural areas of Saudi Arabia, a young, oil-rich, developing country.

METHODS

A random sample of 1,873 schoolchildren aged 12-13 years from urban and adjoining rural areas of 10 administrative regions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were examined for dental caries. Questionnaires also were administered to elicit information on the frequency of snacking as well as consumption of sweets and soft drinks.

RESULTS

No statistically significant differences were found between urban and rural children in caries experience in permanent teeth (mean DMFT = 2.69 in urban areas; 2.65 in rural areas), frequency of snacking, or frequency of consumption of sweets and soft drinks. The percentage of DMFT found to be D was equally high (> 89%) in both urban and rural areas, indicating a high level of restorative treatment need.

CONCLUSION

In Saudi Arabia, an economically prosperous developing country, exposure to cariogenic diet in urban and rural areas does not differ. Also, a difference in caries experience in urban and rural areas often reported for developing countries does not apply to Saudi Arabia.

Dental treatment under general anaesthesia at a hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Dental General Anaesthesia (DGA) has been shown to be of value in providing both restorative treatment and extractions in children who are unable to accept this using other methods of management.

AIMS

The aims of this retrospective study were to determine the characteristics of patients attending for treatment under DGA at a centre in Saudi Arabia, to describe the type of dental treatment carried out using DGA and in the subsequent 3-year period.

SAMPLE AND METHOD

Data were collected from hospital records of 555 patients who received treatment under DGA at King Fahad Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between 1995 and 1997.

RESULTS

Ninety three percent of the patients were aged 8 or younger at the time of DGA, with 43% being under 5 years of age. The main indications for use of DGA in the youngest age group were dental management of rampant caries (77% of the youngest age group) and inability to accept treatment under local anaesthesia (49% of those aged 5-8 years). Seventy percent of patients had treatment involving both extractions and restorative care, and the majority, 81%, had one tooth or more restored with preformed metal crowns. Sixty-three percent of patients attended for recall after 6 months but only 10% did so after a 3-year interval. Only one of the 555 patients received a second DGA at the same centre during the 3 years following treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

The service studied provides dental treatment primarily for children with extensive disease. Failure to attend for recall was common, suggesting that preventive methods which rely on regular attendance may not be successful in this group of children.

Oral health survey of 5-12-year-old children of National Guard employees in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVES

To assess the oral health status, preventive practices and mutans streptococci (MS) levels among the children of National Guard personnel living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study of schoolchildren.

SETTING

Dental Clinic of the National Guard Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

SAMPLE AND METHODS

A sample of 272 5-12-year-old children, 154 males and 118 females (95% Bedouin), were selected from approximately 35 National Guard schools in the Riyadh area. An examination was performed in the dental clinic in the National Guard hospital. Oral hygiene was assessed using the Simplified Debris Index (DI-S); Gingival Index (GI) was used to measure gingival health; dental fluorosis was recorded according to the criteria of Dean. Dental caries (dmft, dmfs, DMFT and DMFS) was recorded according to the recommendations of Haugejorden. Concentration of MS in saline rinse samples was assessed by routine laboratory methods and expressed as colony forming units (CFU) per ml (log10).

RESULTS

There was a high level of dental caries (mean dmft = 3.8 +/- 3.2; mean dmfs = 21.5 +/- 15.7; mean DMFT = 2.0 +/- 1.9; mean DMFS = 3.1 +/- 3.7). Only 0.7% of the children had no caries experience (dmft + DMFT). MS levels ranged from 0 to 7.5 x 10(5) CFU per ml (mean MS = 4.10 +/- 0.90 log10 CFU per ml). A significant relationship between MS and caries experience was observed (P = 0.003). Mild fluorosis was observed in 14% of the children. Oral hygiene scores indicated that most of the examined tooth surfaces had detectable plaque (mean DI-S = 1.78). Gingivitis was present in 100% of the children and was considered moderate to severe in 14% (mean GI = 1.18).

CONCLUSIONS

The study revealed a high level of oral diseases and poor oral hygiene in the study population and a need for therapeutic and preventive measures.

Relationship between premature loss of primary teeth and the development of temporomandibular disorders in children

AIM

This study evaluated the prevalence of signs of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in children with and without premature loss of primary teeth.

SAMPLE

Fifty-eight children, aged 4-6 years, with missing primary molars, were compared with 58 age- and sex-matched control children with complete primary dentitions.

METHOD

All the children underwent an examination that consisted of palpation and assessment of the joints and associated muscles for tenderness and joint sounds. Maximum vertical opening and deviation during jaw opening were also recorded. Children with any single anomalous finding were designated positive for TMD signs.

RESULTS

There were no statistically significant differences in the prevalence of single or collective TMD signs between the two groups.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study show that premature loss of primary teeth, uncomplicated by other factors, does not appear to be an aetiological factor for TMD development.

Combination of low parental educational attainment and high parental income related to high caries experience in pre-school children in Abu Dhabi

Children aged 2, 4 and 5 years were examined for dental caries using WHO criteria, in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, UAE, in 1996. The children were from the three administrative regions of Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Western Region. Sampling of health centres and kindergartens was stratified by urban or rural location. Parents completed a questionnaire, and children were classified into high, middle or low groups on the basis of their parents' education and income. All 20 kindergartens and 22 health centres sampled agreed to participate. The participation rate of sampled children was high and complete data were available for 640 children--217 aged 2 years, 204 aged 4 years, and 219 aged 5 years. Similar numbers of boys and girls were included. The prevalence of dental caries was very high--36% to 47% at age 2 years, 71% to 86% at age 4 years and 82% to 94% at age 5 years. The mean dmft at age 5 years was 8.4 in Abu Dhabi, 8.6 in Al Ain and 5.7 in Western Region. Few teeth had been filled. Apart from age, the parents' education and income were found to be statistically significantly related to caries experience (P<0.05), while gender, ethnicity (UAE or non-UAE), region, and urban or rural living, were not related to dental caries experience (P>0.3). While high parental educational attainment was related to lower caries experience, conversely, high parental income was related to higher caries experience. Caries experience was higher than that recorded approximately 6 years previously and is a cause of concern.

Dental caries prevalence in relation to socioeconomic status of nursery school children in Goiânia-GO, Brazil

The study was carried out to assess dental caries in the primary dentition of pre-school children in Goiânia-GO, Brazil, and to assess the influence of socio-economic status. The study population comprised 0-6-yr-old pre-school children (n = 2267) attending public (low SES children) and private (higher SES children) nursery schools. Mean dmft and percent caries-free were 0.09 (96.4%) at 1 year and younger, 0.40 (87.3%) at 2, 1.14 (69.9%) at 3, 2.18 (49.5%) at 4, 3.18 (36.1%) at 5, and 3.94 (29.4%) at age 6 years respectively. Caries prevalence was higher in those attending public nursery school than in those attending private schools (P < 0.05). Amongst children from public nursery schools the highest dmf component was untreated decay while in private nurseries it was filled teeth. The results indicate that social inequalities exist, which influence dental caries experience. It was concluded that oral health programmes for pre-school children emphasizing preventive measures and dental health education should be developed mainly in areas of social deprivation.

Caries experience of children aged 6-9 years in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

This study was conducted to examine the caries experience of children aged 6-9 years in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Overall, 1522 children were examined from six primary schools located in different areas of the city. Results showed that the mean dmft and DFT were 4.23 and 1.85, respectively. The mean dmft and DFT values excluding caries-free children, however, were 5.71 and 2.95, respectively. Only 26.1% of the children were caries free. There was a high proportion of untreated dental caries and most of the carious teeth were treated by extraction. The need for effective preventive measures was stressed.

Dental caries, sugar consumption and restorative dental care in 12-13-year-old children in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

A 3-day dietary history was obtained from 363 Riyadh schoolchildren aged 12-13 yr, after which their dentitions were examined for dental caries. About 16-31% of the children were caries-free and the mean DMFT varied between 1.67 and 2.43. However, in those with at least one tooth decayed, missing or filled, the mean DMFT remained constant at about 3, irrespective of age or gender; and most of the carious teeth were unrestored. There was a statistically significant relationship between DFS and the frequency of sugar consumption on the first 2 days of the dietary diary. It is suggested that the management of dental caries in the children must include the control of dietary sugar.