[Dental caries experience and its relation to oral hygiene in Mexican children]

Dental caries is public health problem in Mexico and there are few studies on preschool children.

The aim of this study was to determine the caries experience in preschool children and its relation to oral hygiene in an underserved area of ​​the state of Mexico.

A cross-sectional, descriptive, observational and analytical study in children aged four and five years of age enrolled in children´s centers. The sociodemographic variables were obtained through a questionnaire. Clinical evaluation of each of the infants was performed using the CPOD index for primary teeth caries , the criteria of the World Health Organization, and the significant caries index was calculated and oral hygiene was assessed using the criteria of the O'Leary index. Calibration was kappa>0.86 for indexes.

The study population consisted of children of both genders: 69.5% had caries experience, and the index of decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) was 3.52±3.7 (d=3.37±3.5; m=0; f=0.11±0.51). The significant caries index was 8.95±0.39 (d=8.68±0.41; f=0.26±0.13). In total, 98.2% of children with caries experience had poor oral hygiene (DMFT: 4.91: 95% CI: 3.99-5.84), whereas in children with good hygiene it was 0.17 (95% CI: -0.18-0.51); existing association between caries experience and oral hygiene RM 913 (95% CI: 864-962; p<0.01).

The caries experience of preschool children was high and was associated with poor oral hygiene affecting their dentition and usually is associated with caries in permanent dentition associated to social deprivation. Preventive programs are recommended from the first stage of life.