Carious experience in mixed dentition and associated risk factors

Abstract

Objectivs. Assessment of carious experience and risk factors in children with mixed dentition. Material and method. Cross-sectional clinical study on a group of 176 students (82 boys) aged 7-10 years (v = 8.34±1.40 years) from Bucharest. The children answered questionnaires about eating and oral hygiene habits and were clinically examined in the classroom, according to WHO recommendations (1997). Carious lesions, bacterial plaque and salivary pH were assessed. There were calculated: caries prevalence index (Ip), dmf-t/s and DMF-T/S indices, bacterial plaque index (BPI), mean salivary pH. Correlations were established between dmf-t/s, DMF-T/S, BPI and the analyzed risk factors. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 20.0, using t-test, ANOVA test and Pearson correlation (p = 0.05). Results. Ip = 47.72% (56.09% -boys; 40.42% -girls; p 0.05, r = 0.048-0.067). Those who ate sticky foods (11%) had more carious experience than those who ate fruits (77%) or non-stick foods (12%) (moderate correlations: r = 0,412/0,317 with DMF-T/S, r = 0.465/0.303 with dmf-t/s). Tooth-brushing duration, salivary pH and consumption of sweet-carbonated beverages were not correlated with carious experience. Conclusions. Caries prevalence index and carious experience indices had high values. The daily frequency of tooth-brushing and food quality were determinants factors for caries occurrence.

Keywords

• mixed dentition
• carious experience
• risk factors