High caries levels in rural preschool children and first grades

Objectives: In spite of a general decline in caries prevalence, dental decay is still the most widespread disease of childhood. The aim of this study was to assess the oral health in 4-7-year-old children from German rural communities and to explore related social and oral health behavioural risk factors. Methods: The study was carried out on a total of 420 randomly selected preschool children and first grades living in five rural districts of Bavaria, Germany. The oral examination considered the caries status (dft/dfs), the oral hygiene (PI) and periodontal status (SBI). Parents were asked to complete a questionnaire about social and behavioural factors. The data gathered were processed with the statistical programme SPSS. Results: The mean dft was found to be 2.5 (4.4 dfs). Mostly the teeth were untreated (dt=2.04, ds=3.2, ft=0.5, fs=1.2). Near the half of subjects had a treatment need due to caries. Only 24% of all subjects were caries free. PI values ranged between 0 (41% of subjects) and 3 (8% of subjects). The mean SBI value amounted to 0.7 which corresponded with the mean PI value of 0.8. The results of the questionnaire reflected a poor oral hygiene behaviour combined with a high consumption of sugar containing food/drinks between the meals. The majority of parents had a low education level. Multiple regression analyses revealed that parents' education was significantly related to caries prevalence, oral hygiene status, and periodontal status. Conclusion: An interpretation of these findings shows a high need for dental education, preventive and restorative oral health care among these rural children.