Prevalence and Comparison of Dental Caries of 6 to 12 Years Age in Government and Private School Children of Peshawar City, Pakistan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61919/jhrr.v4i2.729Keywords:
Dental Caries, Child Oral Health, Sugar Consumption, School Children, Cross-Sectional Study, Oral Hygiene, Public HealthAbstract
Background: Dental caries remains a significant public health issue globally, affecting both developed and developing nations. Studies have shown varying prevalence rates based on geographic, socioeconomic, and cultural factors, particularly among school-aged children. The city of Peshawar, with its diverse population, provides a unique setting to study these variables in relation to oral health outcomes among children.
Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of dental caries among school children aged 6 to 12 years in Peshawar, Pakistan, and to compare the rates between students from government and private schools. Additionally, the study sought to explore the association of dental caries with dietary habits, particularly the consumption of sweets, chocolates, and candies.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 376 school children from both government and private schools in Peshawar. Participants underwent detailed oral examinations to assess for dental caries, and data on their dietary habits were collected through questionnaires. Informed consent was obtained from parents or guardians according to the Declaration of Helsinki. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 22 was used for data analysis, employing descriptive statistics to calculate frequencies, percentages, and mean values.
Results: The overall prevalence of dental caries among the participants was 55.05%. Boys exhibited a slightly higher prevalence (53.2% in males compared to 62.7% in females). The consumption of sugary snacks was significantly associated with the presence of caries; 95.6% of carious children regularly consumed sweets, chocolates, or candies. There was no significant difference in caries prevalence between children from government (53.2%) and private schools (57.5%).
Conclusion: The study highlights a high prevalence of dental caries among school-aged children in Peshawar, which correlates strongly with sugar consumption but not with the type of school attended. These findings underscore the need for targeted public health interventions to reduce sugar intake and improve oral hygiene among children.
Downloads
References
Stella YLK, Petersen PE, Pine CM, Borutta A. Health-Promoting Schools: An Opportunity for Oral Health Promotion. Bull World Health Organ. 2005; 83:677-685.
Petersen PE. Oral Health. In: Heggenhougen K, editor. International Encyclopedia of Public Health. San Diego: Academic Press; 2008. p. 677-685.
Gambhir RS, Sohi RK, Nanda T, Sawhney GS, Setia S. Impact of School Based Oral Health Education Programme in India: A Systematic Review. J Clin Diagn Res. 2013; 7:3107-3110.
Featherstone JDB. Prevention and Reversal of Dental Caries: Role of Low-Level Fluoride. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 1999; 27:31-40.
Loesche WJ. Role of Streptococcus Mutans in Human Dental Decay. Microbiol Rev. 1986; 50:353-380.
Featherstone JDB. Diffusion Phenomena and Enamel Caries Development. In: Proceedings of the International Congress on Cariology Today; 1983; Zurich, Switzerland. Basel: Karger; 1984. p. 259-268.
Alaluusua S, Renkonen OV. Streptococcus Mutans Establishment and Dental Caries Experience in Children From 2 to 4 Years Old. Eur J Oral Sci. 1983 Dec;91(6):453-7.
Cheon K, Moser SA, Wiener HW, Whiddon J, Momeni SS, Ruby JD, et al. Characteristics of Streptococcus Mutans Genotypes and Dental Caries in Children. Eur J Oral Sci. 2013;121(3 Pt 1):148-55.
Hamada S, Slade HD. Biology, Immunology, and Cariogenicity of Streptococcus Mutans. Microbiol Rev. 1980 Jun;44(2):331-84.
Zijnge V, van Leeuwen MB, Degener JE, et al. Oral Biofilm Architecture on Natural Teeth. PLoS One. 2010;5(2): e9321.
Meyer F, Enax J. Die Mundhöhle Als Ökosystem. Biologie in Unserer Zeit. 2018;48(1):62-68.
Rosan B, Lamont RJ. Dental Plaque Formation. Microbes Infect. 2000;2(13):1599-1607.
Sztajer H, Szafranski SP, Tomasch J, Reck M, Nimtz M, Rohde M, Wagner-Döbler I. Differential Gene Expression in Streptococcus Mutans Cultured in Biofilms or Planktonic State. ISME J. 2014 Nov;8(11):2256-71.
Falsetta ML, Klein MI, Colonne PM, Scott-Anne K, Gregoire S, Pai CH, et al. Symbiotic Relationship Between Streptococcus Mutans and Candida Albicans Synergizes Virulence of Plaque Biofilms In Vivo. Infect Immun. 2014 May;82(5):1968-81.
Kilian M, Chapple IL, Hannig M, Marsh PD, Meuric V, Pedersen AM, et al. The Oral Microbial Consortium's Interaction with the Host Immune Response in Health and Disease. Br Dent J. 2016 Nov 18;221(10):657-666.
Shang XH, Da-Lu LI, Yi H, Hui C, Ruo-Peng SUN. Prevalence of Dental Caries Among Preschool in Shanghe Country of Shandong Province and Relevant and Treatment Strategies. China Med J. 2008; 121:2246-2249.
Jurgensen N, Petersen PE. Promoting Oral Health of Children Through Schools-Results from a WHO Global Survey 2012. J Community Dental Health. 2013; 30:204-218.
Harikiran AG, Pallavi SK, Hariprakash S, Naqesh KS. Oral Health Related KAP Among 11-to 12-Year-Old School Children in a Government Aided Missionary School of Bangalore City. Indian J Dent Res. 2008; 19:236-242.
Vakani F, Basaria N, Katpar S. Oral Hygiene KAP Assessment and DMFT Scoring Among Children Aged 11-12 Years in an Urban School of Karachi. J Coll Physicians Surg Pak. 2011; 21:223-226.
Walsh T, Worthington HV, Glenny AM, Appelbe P, Marinho VC, Shi X. Fluoride Toothpastes of Different Concentrations for Preventing Dental Caries in Children and Adolescents. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010 Jan 20;(1):CD007868.
Limeback H, Robinson C. Comprehensive Preventive Dentistry. Hoboken, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.; 2012. p. 251-282.
European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry. Guidelines on the Use of Fluoride in Children: An EAPD Policy Document. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent. 2009;10(3):129-135.
Li J, Xie X, Wang Y, et al. Long-Term Remineralizing Effect of Casein Phosphopeptide-Amorphous Calcium Phosphate (CPP-ACP) on Early Caries Lesions in Vivo: A Systematic Review. J Dent. 2014;42(7):769.
Schlagenhauf U, Kunzelmann K-H, Hannig C, et al. Microcrystalline Hydroxyapatite Is Not Inferior to Fluorides in Clinical Caries Prevention: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Non-Inferiority Trial. bioRxiv. 2018. doi: 10.1101/306423.
Babu MSM, Nirmala SVSG, Sivakumar N. Oral Hygiene Status of 7-12 Year Old School Children in Rural and Urban Population of Nellore District. J Indian Assoc Public Health Dent. 2011;18:1075-1080.
Al-Shammary A, Guil E, El-Buckly M. Prevalence of Caries in Primary School Children in Saudi Arabia. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 1990;18:320-321.
Sohi RK, Gambhir RS, Veeresha KL, Randhawa AK, Singh G. Assessment of Prevalence of Dental Caries Among 5 and12-Year-Old Schoolchildren in Chandigarh (U.T.), India. Arch Oral Res. 2012;8:39-45.
Rebelo MAB, Lopes MC, Vieira JMR, Parente RCP. Dental Caries and Gingivitis Among 15 to 19 Year-Old Students in Manaus, AM, Brazil. Braz Oral Res. 2009;23:248-254.
Mittal M, Chaudhary P, Chopra R, Khattar V. Oral Health Status of 5 Years and 12 Years Old School Going Children in Rural Gurgaon, India: An Epidemiological Study. J Indian Dent Soc Pedod Prevent. March 2014;32:38.
Jamieson LM, Thomson WM, McGee R. Caries Prevalence and Severity in Urban Fijian School Children. Internat J Paed Dent. 2004;14:3440.
Aleksejuniene J, Arneberg P, Eriksen HM. Caries Prevalence and Oral Hygiene in Lithuanian Children and Adolescents. Acta Odontol Scand. 1996;54(1):75-80.
Marthaler TM, O'Mullane DM, Vrbic V. The Prevalence of Dental Caries in Europe 1990-1995. Caries Res. 1996;30(4):237-55.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Zeeshan Ahmad Khan, Salma, Aqsa, Kay Enat Omar
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
