Prevalence of Dental Caries in a Nigerian Rural Community

Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence and risk factors associated with dental caries in secondary school children residing in the rural communities of Awgu North Local Government Area, Enugu. Methods: We used the stratified random sampling technique to select 301 students who were 11-16-years of age. Trained interviewers administered semi-structured questionnaires. Two calibrated examiners examined the participants. We diagnosed caries based on the guidelines laid down by the World Health Organization. We incorporated oral health education component and gave out toothpaste tubes to all participants as an incentive. We analyzed collated data using EPI-INFO version 3.3.2 and PEPI version 11.0. Results: Hundred males (33.2%) and 201 females (66.8%) were studied, 35.5% had dental caries. Mean DMFT was 0.85 ± 1.50. Girls had significantly higher DMFT than boys at ages 12 and 16 years. Students who used fluoridated toothpaste were found to have less caries. Boys who cleaned their teeth with chewing sticks had more caries than boys who used toothbrush and paste. Decayed component accounted for 53(49.5%) of the dental caries while only (3) 2.8% of the caries were filled. Conclusion: The prevalence of caries is low in this study, but still higher than prevalence rates reported in urban areas of Enugu States. The findings of this study could serve as a guide for planning rural community oriented oral health promotion programmes.