Caries risk profile of preschool children in the City of Niš

Abstract

Introduction: Primary caries prevention from the earliest childhood has multiple significance. Its efficacy is largely conditioned by the knowledge of the caries risk profile of the subpopulation at risk, as an important prerequisite for developing effective strategies and measures for disease prevention and control. Aim: To assess the caries risk profile of preschool children in the City of Niš using a reduced computer Cariogram ® model. Material and methods: To realize the set objectives, a cross-sectional study was conducted, which included preschool children, aged 36-48 months, with permanent residence in the City of Niš since birth. The collection of data was done by interviewing mothers, and by the clinical examination of subjects. The caries risk profile of the subjects was performed using a reduced Cariogram ® model. Results: The study included 276 subjects of preschool age, mean age 41.28 ± 4.40 months. The highest percentage of subjects has a moderate caries risk, with an average of 50% chance of avoiding a new carious lesion in the future. In the assessed caries risk profile of children, the most vulnerable sectors are "susceptibility" (18%) and "bacteria" (14%), related to the use of fluoride by children of this age and their oral hygiene. The highest percentage of subjects belongs to the moderate caries risk group. Conclusion: According to the conducted study, insufficient exposure of teeth to fluoride and inadequate oral hygiene may be considered significant caries risk factors in preschool children, which should be considered when choosing measures and strategies for disease prevention and control. Also, it is necessary to reconsider the time of diagnostic examinations to reduce the prevalence of caries and its negative consequences at this age to a minimum.

Keywords

• caries risk
• children
• caries prevention