Caries patterns in an urban preschool population in Norway
M S Skeie1, I Espelid, A B Skaare
1Faculty of Dentistry, University of Bergen, Norway. marit.skeie@odont.uib.no
Insights
Preschool children in Oslo show significant disparities in dental caries based on immigrant status. Immigrant children experienced earlier and more severe tooth decay compared to western native children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Dental caries prevalence and severity vary significantly across different populations.
- Understanding caries distribution in preschool children is crucial for targeted public health interventions.
- Socioeconomic factors and ethnic background can influence oral health outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence, severity, and distribution of dental caries in Oslo preschool children.
- To compare caries findings between immigrant and western native children, and across different age groups.
- To establish a baseline for future longitudinal studies on pediatric dental health.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive cross-sectional study involving 775 preschool children from diverse socioeconomic and immigrant backgrounds.
- Caries examinations conducted by calibrated examiners using a detailed 5-grade caries diagnosis system, including incipient caries.
- Bitewing radiographs (BW) were utilized for 5-year-old children.
Main Results:
- 80.1% of 3-year-olds and 48.0% of 5-year-olds were caries-free.
- Immigrant children exhibited higher caries prevalence, greater severity, and earlier onset compared to western native children.
- The most pronounced caries data skewness was observed in the western native group at 3 years of age.
Conclusions:
- Significant dental health disparities linked to ethnic origin were evident in 3-year-old children.
- These disparities persisted at 5 years of age, although overall caries prevalence increased in the entire preschool population.
Aim:
This was to describe the prevalence, severity and distribution of caries in a preschool population in Oslo, Norway, and to compare the findings in subgroups according to immigrant status and age. Furthermore, the present data should serve as a baseline for longitudinal studies.
Methods:
The participating children (n = 775), chosen from 7 clinics in the Public Dental Health Service, were of various socioeconomic backgrounds and immigrant status (IM, immigrant group-mother of non-western origin or WN, western native group-mother of western background). The study design was descriptive cross-sectional. The caries examinations were carried out by calibrated examiners, and a detailed 5-graded caries diagnosis system including incipient caries was used. Radiographs (BW) were taken of the 5-year-old children.
Results:
The percentage of caries free children, aged 3 years (mean 3.0) and 5 years (mean 4.8) were 80.1% and 48.0% respectively. The subgroup of immigrant children showed a considerably higher caries prevalence, it was more often affected by severe caries and experienced an earlier onset of the disease than the subgroup of western native children. The most marked skewness of the caries data was seen within the WN group, especially at 3 years of age.
Conclusions:
The present study has revealed disparities in dental health associated with ethnic origin seen at the age of 3. The disparities in dental health are still evident at 5 years of age, but then caries is more common for the whole population.
