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Published on: December 31, 2017
Effect of non-functional teeth on accumulation of supra-gingival calculus in children
M Ashkenazi1, R Miller, L Levin
1malka.ashkenazi@gmail.com
Aim:
To evaluate the occurrence of supra-gingival calculus in children aged 6-9 years with disuse conditions such as: presence of dental pain, open-bite or erupting teeth.
Methods:
A cohort of 327 children aged 7.64±2.12 (range: 6-9) years (45% girls) were screened for presence of supra-gingival calculus in relation to open bite, erupting teeth and dental pain. Presence of dental calculus was evaluated dichotomically in the buccal, palatinal/lingual and occlusal surfaces. Plaque index (PI) and gingival index (GI) were also evaluated.
Results:
Supra-gingival calculus was found in 15.9% of the children mainly in the mandibular incisors. Children aged 6-7 years had a higher prevalence of calculus as compared to children aged 7-8 years (23% vs. 13.5%, p=0.057) or 8-9 years (23% vs. 12.4%, p=0.078), respectively. No statistical relation was found between plaque and gingival indices and presence of calculus. The prevalence of calculus among children with openbite was significantly higher than that of children without open-bite (29.4% vs. 10.7%, p=0.0006, OR=3.489). The prevalence of calculus among children with erupting teeth in their oral cavity was higher than that of children without erupting teeth (17.7% vs. 9%, respectively, p=0.119). No statistical correlation was found between presence of dental pain and calculus (15.4% vs. 15.9%; p=0.738).
Conclusion:
Accumulation of calculus in children aged 6-10 years was found mainly in the mandibular incisors, decreased with age and was correlated with open-bite.
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