Determinant Factors of Untreated Dental Caries and Lesion Activity in Preschool Children Using ICDAS

• Published in: PloS one 2016-02, Vol.11 (2), p.e0150116-e0150116
• Main Authors: Pinto-Sarmento, Tássia Cristina de Almeida, Abreu, Mauro Henrique, Gomes, Monalisa Cesarino, Costa, Edja Maria Melo de Brito, Martins, Carolina Castro, Granville-Garcia, Ana Flávia, Paiva, Saul Martins
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; Biology and Life Sciences; Body mass; Body mass index; Brazil - epidemiology; Caregivers; Child, Preschool; Children; Cross-Sectional Studies; Demographic aspects; Demographics; Dental caries; Dental Caries - epidemiology; Dentistry; Families & family life; Female; Girls; Health aspects; Health care; Humans; Lesions; Male; Medicine and Health Sciences; Nutritional status; Oral Health; Oral hygiene; Orthodontics; Parents; People and Places; Population; Population studies; Preschool children; Public health; Quality of life; Regression analysis; Risk factors; Socio-economic aspects; Socioeconomics; Studies; Toothbrushing
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150116

The aim of the present study was to investigate determinant factors associated with the presence of dental caries and lesion activity in preschool children. A population-based, cross-sectional study was carried out with 843 children of aged three to five years enrolled at public and private preschools in the city of Campina Grande, Brazil. A questionnaire addressing socio-demographic data and oral health care was self-administered by parents/caregivers. Three dentists previously calibrated examined the children for the diagnosis of dental caries and lesion activity using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS). Nutritional status was evaluated based on the body mass index. Logistic regression analysis for complex samples was performed (α = 5%). The prevalence of dental caries was 66.3%. Among the children with caries, 88.0% had active lesions. Dental caries was more prevalent in girls (OR = 1.53, 95%CI: 1.05-2.23), in children from families with a monthly household income ≤US$312.50 (OR = 2.38, 95%CI: 1.65-3.43) and those whose mothers had up to eight years of schooling (OR = 1.55, 95%CI: 1.07-2.23). Lesion activity was significantly associated with mother's schooling ≤ 8 years (OR = 2.15, 95%CI: 1.15-4.00). The prevalence rates of dental caries and lesion activity were high and mainly associated with a lower socioeconomic status and mother's schooling.