Caries prevalence of 5-year-old children in Athens and in South London

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Dentistry
• Public Health

Background:

• Dental caries is a significant global health issue affecting young children.
• Variations in dental health outcomes exist between different countries and regions.
• Understanding regional differences in childhood dental health is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the dental health status of 5-year-old children in London boroughs with those in Athens, Greece.
• To investigate differences in caries prevalence, decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft) index, and treatment patterns.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 384 children in London and 318 children in Athens.
• Clinical examination of 5-year-old children to assess dental caries and related indices.
• Statistical analysis to compare dental health indicators between the two populations.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference in caries-free proportions (London: 56%, Athens: 57.5%) or mean dmft (London: 1.63, Athens: 1.48).
• London children had significantly fewer decayed teeth (mean 2.35 vs. 2.93) but significantly more missing teeth (mean 0.63 vs. 0.02) compared to Athens children, after excluding caries-free individuals.
• These findings indicate distinct dental treatment patterns between the two locations.

Conclusions:

• While overall caries prevalence is similar, treatment approaches for early childhood caries differ significantly between London and Athens.
• The higher number of missing teeth in London suggests potential disparities in access to or utilization of timely dental care for decayed teeth.
• Further research into specific treatment modalities and healthcare system influences is warranted to address these observed differences.