Year : 2020

Volume : Volume 11

Issue : Issue 3

Address for correspondence :
Dr. Ajita Dwivedi.
AjitaDwivedi@gmail.com

Abstract

Background:  Early childhood caries (ECC) is a well-known problem related to public health problem and children from low socioeconomic strata are particularly vulnerable to it. This study aims to assess prevalence of ECC among children attending primary schools at a sub-urban location in Rewa city of Madhya Pradesh.  Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 345 children aged 2–5 years selected via cluster random sampling, attending primary schools at a camp organized by a Non-Governmental Organization. Caries experience was assessed using decayed missing filled teeth (dmft) index (the WHO criteria) and ECC was recorded. IBM SPSS Statistics software version 19 was used for statistical analysis and significance level was set at P < 0.05. Descriptive data were generated in percentages. Chi-square test, Kuskall–Wallis test and Man–Whitney U-test were used for statistical analyses.  Results: A total of 345 children, with mean age 3.6 ± 1.8 years, were examined. Among them, 45.7% were boys and 54.3% girls. The prevalence of ECC was 52.6%. The prevalence of ECC increased with the increasing age. It was significantly higher among 5-year-old female children compared to males (P = 0.023). The mean dmft of study population was 1.26 ± 1.24. There was only one detectable filled tooth among study population.  Conclusion: The high prevalence of ECC (52.6%), along with very low prevalence of filled teeth among the primary school children in Rewa City is a cause of concern. It suggests unmet dental treatment needs. Therefore, there is a need for caries preventive and treatment programs for this section of children.

Keywords: Primary School, Children, Dental Caries, Prevalence.