Evaluation of the relationship between body mass index, dental caries, and diet among a group of 6-12 years old school going children

Abstract

Aim: These results are from research conducted on a sample of healthy school-aged children (ages 6–12) to determine whether or not there is a correlation between BMI, dental caries, and food. Method: About 500 kids are a part of the study. A stature meter was used to get the tallest possible measurement, and a small electronic scale was used to get the smallest possible weight. Body mass index was determined using the standard CDC growth charts (2000). The presence of caries was evaluated using an intraoral examination guided by WHO (1997) standards. For three days in a row, including the weekend, participants recorded what they ate and drank. Result: It was discovered that there is a huge gap in the body mass index (BMI) categories between sexes, with the vast majority of persons falling into the average weight category. The deft and DMFT caries scores of young men and women did not significantly differ across any of the BMI-for-age categories (P > 0.05). Consumption of supplements on a daily basis did not vary significantly between the BMI-for-age categories (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Pediatric dentists should play an active role in reducing this worldwide epidemic since pediatric obesity and dental caries have comparable causes and necessitate an all-encompassing, coordinated care strategy from interdisciplinary medical teams.

Keywords

• bmi
• caries
• children
• dietary intake
• obesity