Dental Caries and its Socio-Behavioral Predictors- An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Dentistry
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Dental caries remains a significant public health issue among children globally.
• Understanding the influence of urbanization and gender on oral health is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess dental caries status and oral health behaviors in 12-year-old Indian school children.
• To analyze the impact of urbanization, gender, and socio-demographic factors on caries experience.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 831, 12-year-old school children in India.
• Caries assessed using the Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth (DMFT) index.
• Oral health knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors evaluated via a 16-item questionnaire.

Main Results:

• Mean caries experience was 1.94 with a prevalence of 64.9%, decay being the primary component.
• Urban and female children exhibited better oral health knowledge and practices.
• Higher caries risk was associated with male gender, rural residence, lower parental education/occupation, infrequent brushing, and high sugar consumption.

Conclusions:

• Dental caries prevalence and severity were lower in urban girls compared to rural boys.
• Oral health knowledge, beliefs, and practices were generally low, particularly in rural and male children.
• Significant associations were found between caries experience and gender, residence, brushing frequency, sugar intake, and parental socio-economic status.