Development of Caries Risk Assessment Tool for Iranian Preschoolers: A Primary Validation Study

A mixed methods approach to obtaining health care provider feedback for the development of a Canadian pediatric dental caries risk assessment tool for children <6 years

Introduction

Early childhood caries (ECC) is a chronic but preventable disease affecting young children worldwide. Many young children face access to care barriers to early preventive dental visits for a variety of reasons, which can increase their risk for ECC. Non-dental primary health care providers are well positioned to assist in assessing a child's risk for ECC by performing caries risk assessment (CRA). The purpose of this project was to report on primary health care provider and stakeholder feedback in order to refine a drafted CRA tool for Canadian children &lt;6 years of age intended for use by non-dental primary health care providers.

Methods

In this mixed methods project, we conducted six focus groups with primarily non-dental primary health care providers followed by a short paper-based survey to quantify preferences and feedback. Data were thematically and descriptively analyzed.

Results

Participants’ feedback on the drafted CRA tool included the need for it to be relatively quick to complete, easy and practical to score, easy to implement into practitioners’ clinic schedules, and to include anticipatory guidance information to share with parents and caregivers. All participants (100%) welcomed a CRA tool. Many (85.4%) liked a layout that could be added to tools they already utilize. Most (73.2%) wanted the tool to be in colour, and many (90.2%) wanted the tool to include pictures.

Conclusion

Non-dental primary health care providers informed the final development and layout of the newly released Canadian CRA tool. Their feedback resulted in a user-friendly CRA tool with provider-patient dynamics and preferences.

[Prevalence and influencing factors of deciduous caries in preschool children in Chongqing city]

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine the prevalence and related factors of deciduous caries in 3-5-year-old preschool children in Chongqing city. Results will be used to provide a basis for the establishment and adjustment of prevention and intervention of caries in preschool children.

METHODS

We referred to the Fourth National Oral Health Epidemiological Survey. Data included caries prevalence in preschool children, and the questionnaires were distributed to children' parents in Chongqing city. Results were inputted by Epidata 3.1 and statistically analyzed using SPSS 21.0.

RESULTS

A total of 1 350 preschool children were included in the study. We found that maxillary deciduous central incisor and mandibular deciduous molars were susceptible to decay. The prevalence of primary teeth caries in preschool children in Chongqing city was 51.4% (694/1 350). The mean decayed-missing-filled-teeth (dmft) index was 2.34. The caries prevalence and mean dmft between age groups were statistically significant (P<0.01) and increased with age (P<0.05). However, except the 5-year-old group (P<0.05), no significant difference in caries prevalence rate and mean dmft was found between male and female children (P>0.05). Approximately 61.7% of caries cases were concentrated in a small number (36.1%) of individuals. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that age, highest educational level of parents, intake frequency of sweetened beverages and carbonated drinks, toothache or similar discomfort experience over the past year, dentist visits, and parents' assessment of teeth and oral health status of children were the factors influencing the prevalence of deciduous caries (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

More than half of the preschool children had dental caries. Majority of caries were concentrated in a small number of individuals. The age of children, highest educational level of parents, intake frequency of sweetened beverages and carbonated drinks, toothache or discomfort experience over the past year, dentist visits, and parents' assessment of teeth and oral health status of children were associated with the prevalence of deciduous caries.