Dental caries severity and related factors of 1307 Turkish boarding school children

Abstract

Background: In Turkey, dental caries is a disease which still has been considering as a real public health problem. School children of lower socioeconomic status had greater caries experience and higher caries severity in both primary and permanent dentitions. Aims: To determine the frequency of dental caries and its related factors among boarding school children. Patients and Methods: Cross-sectional study. We examined 1307 boarding school children aged 7-14 for caries status and its related factors. Data on dental health and its related factors were obtained from the archive of Ege Oral Health and Dentistry Association. Comparisons of caries severity (as decayed/missing/filled primary teeth, dmft/decayed/missing/filled permanent teeth, DMFT and significant caries index,) and examination years were made. Caries trend were also identified. Correlations between caries severity and its related factors were also performed. SPSS 20.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results: DMFT and SiC for DMFT of all children were 2.35 and 5.04, respectively. 70-year-old had the highest dmft, whereas 14-year-olds had the highest DMFT. No correlation was found between decreased dmft and tooth brushing frequency, regular dental check-ups, and oral hygiene status. There was a weak correlation between decreased DMFT and increased number of dental visits in 2008 and 2009. In children received more than one examination and/or treatment (n = 269), the SiC index for dmft was 10.52 in 2002. In 2004, the index decreased to 3.57. The SiC for DMFT was 4.09 in 2002 and 2004. No correlation was identified between decreased dmft and DMFT and tooth brushing frequency, regular dental check-ups, and oral hygiene status both for the years of 2002 and 2004. The mean dmft of 32 children had prophylaxis for dental caries in 2002 was significantly decreased in 2004. Conclusion: Caries prevalence and severity of boarding school children were high even they were followed-up regularly.