Prevalence of Early Childhood Caries in Southern Italy: An Epidemiological Study

Caries Severity, Decayed First Permanent Molars and Associated Factors in 6-7 Years Old Schoolchildren Living in Palermo (Southern Italy)

To date, there are very few epidemiologic studies on caries disease in 6-7 year old children living in Sicily (Southern Italy). The first permanent molar (FPM) is the most commonly affected tooth in this target population, and a one-unit increase in the number of decayed FPMs is predictive of caries in other teeth and in adulthood. The primary aim of this research is to estimate the prevalence of caries in 6-7 year old schoolchildren living in Palermo and, as a secondary aim, to estimate the prevalence of affected FPMs. It was designed as a cluster cross-sectional survey on 995 children from 16 schools, selected based on their geographical location, in one of the eight city districts. Caries data were recorded using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System for each tooth surface. The relation between socio-economic status, behavioural determinants, and clinical information and the number of teeth with initial caries (IC), moderate caries (MC), or extensive caries (SC) was analysed through the ordinal logistic regression. Among the 995 schoolchildren, 662 (66.5%) had at least one lesion and 742 (74.6%) had FPMs. Of the latter, 238 (32.0%) were affected by IC, 86 (11.6%) were affected by MC, and only 3 (0.4%) were affected by SC. During multivariable analysis, there was evidence of an increased risk of MC and SC related to the deprivation of the district in which the children lived and went to school, as well as to the protective role of parental education and employment. The same significant determinants were found for IC and MC FPMs. The study showed the important role of socio-economic determinants, unhealthy behaviours, and social deprivation related to the increased risk of moderate and extensive caries in 6-7 year old schoolchildren. Investigating this target population is very important, as early development of caries in FPMs may have serious consequences in the prognostics of oral health in an adult.

[Prevalence, intensity, and efficacy of dental caries treatment in pre-school children living in the town of Khimki]

THE AIM OF THE STUDY

Was to assess the prevalence, intensity, and treatment efficacy of dental caries in children aged 3 to 6 years residents of the town of Khimki, Moscow region. The number of decayed, filled, and missed due to caries teeth was registered. The parents were interviewed in order to reveal dental caries treatment experience as well as reasons for negative experience, age of the first dental office visit and the reasons for it.

RESULTS

The incidence of dental caries in 3-6 years old living in Khimki is 52%. The prevalence and incidence unsurprisingly grow with age as well as the number of children having the experience of toothache and early extractions. The vast majority of children including these with positive dental treatment experience have untreated carious lesions. The difference of decayed teeth between children having negative and positive treatment experience in statistically insignificant (p=0.57), and the number of filling is equally small in both subgroups (p=0.99). This means even cooperative children who underwent dental treatment have untreated (or previously treated but having no fillings - in 22.6% of treatment cases) cavities.

CONCLUSION

The dental caries intensity growth outpaces the possibilities of the Khimky dental service resulting in the low number of caries-free previously treated children (17.9% of all treated). All this dictates the necessity for dental caries prevention programs and implementation of new models for dental care organization in preschool children.