The Relationship Between Dental Caries and the Health Status of Anganwadi Children Aged 3-6 Years

One of the most prevalent chronic oral diseases affecting children worldwide is dental caries. Every patient must have their caries risk evaluated, and this assessment needs to be done regularly. Primary preventive care should be provided to all children in order to lower their risk of dental cavities.

This study was done to evaluate children's dental caries status between the ages of three and six and investigate how it relates to their general health.

About 550 children between the ages of three and six, both male and female, were chosen at random to be screened. To determine if the child's weight was suitable for their height, the body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Anthropometric data and dental caries status were recorded using a standardized proforma.

The results revealed that the mean decayed, extracted due to caries, or filled teeth (def) score increased significantly with age, and although the def score was nonsignificantly higher among males (226; 82.2%) compared to females (210; 76.6%). Furthermore, children's dental caries status is highly influenced by both age and BMI.

From the study, it can be concluded that BMI generally determines health status. If BMI is altered, its effect is seen in our overall health. In the present study, both age and BMI were found to have a significant impact on the dental caries status of children.