Dental Caries and Their Treatment Needs in 3-5 Year Old Preschool Children in a Rural District of India
Authors
Devanand Gupta
Department of Public Health Dentistry, Institute of Dental Science, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, General Secretary, International Society for Holistic Dentistry, India
Rizwan Momin
Department of Oral Pathology, Jaipur Dental College, Jaipur, India
Ayush Mathur
Department of Orthodontics, NIMS Dental College, Jaipur, India
Kavuri Srinivas
Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Anil Neerukonda Institute of Dental Sciences, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
Ankita Jain
Department of Public Health Dentistry, Teerthanker Mahaveer Dental College and Research Centre, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
Neelima Dommaraju
Consultant Dental Surgeon, Pritam Dental Care, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
Deepak Dalai
Department of Public Health Dentistry, Teerthanker Mahaveer Dental College and Research Centre, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
Rajendra Gupta
Government Degree College, Banbasa, Uttrakhand, India
Keywords:
Dental caries, preschool children, treatment needs, rural India, Uttrakhand
Abstract
Dental problems in the preschool children are neglected by their parents as the deciduous teeth are going to shed off, and hence considered to be of no importance and more of economic burden if attended to them.
Aims:
This study was to determine the caries prevalence in preschool children (3-5-year-old) of rural Moradabad district, to analyze the specific pattern of dental caries experience in this population and to assess the treatment needs among them.
Material and Methods:
Children within the age group of 3-5 years attending Anganwadi centers of rural Moradabad district were included in the study. Caries diagnosis was based on decayed, extracted, filled surface (defs) and the treatment needs were recorded using World Health Organization (WHO) oral health assessment form 1997.
Results:
Out of 1,500 children examined, 48.7% males and 52.6% females did not require any treatment. The mean decayed, extracted, filled teeth (deft) value was found to be significantly high in 5-year-old participants when compared to 3-year-old participants (P < 0.01). Majority of the children required one surface filling followed by two surface fillings, caries arresting sealant care, extraction, crown bridge element, pulp care, and space maintainer.
Conclusion:
The most common pattern was pit and fissure, then maxillary anterior pattern, posterior proximal pattern, and posterior buccal lingual smooth surface pattern. The mean deft value was higher in males as compared to females. There is a greater need for oral health education among parents and teachers.
Keywords: Dental caries, preschool children, treatment needs, rural India, Uttrakhand
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