1Department of Preventive Dentistry, College of Dentistry, University of Baghdad, Iraq
Online published on 23 December, 2019.
Dental caries is the most common infectious and widely spread disease affecting children in early age. Nutrition may be one of the important factors affecting dental caries. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and severity of dental caries and treatment need in relation to nutritional status among kindergartens children in Tikrit city.
The sample consisted of 580 kindergarten children aged (4–5) years old (329 boys and 251 girls) from Tikrit city. Dental caries was recorded by using dmfs/dmft indices, while dental treatment need was recorded according to criteria of (WHO). The assessment of nutritional status was achieved using anthropometrics measurement (height and weight) according to body mass index indicator.
The prevalence of dental caries was 86.03%. Caries experience was higher among 5 years than 4 years and higher among boys than girls, with statistically no significant difference between age and gender. The higher percentage of examined children were in need of one surface filling. According to nutritional status (BMI indicator), the mean value of ds and dmfs were higher among children with undernutrition than among other children, with no significant difference (P >0.05).
A study reported a high prevalence of dental caries among kindergartens children, thus there is an increase need of a preventive program among preschool children in Tikrit city in Iraq.
Dental caries, treatment need, nutritional status, kindergarten children, Tikrit city
