Dental caries in 12-year-old schoolchildren from Baghdad, Iraq

This study, conducted during autumn 2003, provides the first post-war information of oral health in 12-year-old school children from Iraq. Objectives: 1) To assess the level of caries experience, oral hygiene habits and sugar consumption and, 2) To examine socio-economic correlates of the children’s caries experience and sugar consumption. Design: Cross-sectional questionnaires and clinical examination assessing dental caries. Methods: 10 schools were selected purposively from Baghdad and 392 (49% boys, 51% girls) 12-year-olds were recruited for the study. Drinking water samples from the selected schools were collected and analyzed for fluoride content. Results: A total of 33%, 37% and 31% of the study participants belonged to high, medium and low socio-economic areas, respectively. The rate of caries experience was 62% (DMFT>0). The mean DMFT and DT for the sample were 1.7 and 1.3. The mean DMFT scores associated positively with mother’s level of education. A total of 21% and 47% of the children reported missing school and eating problems because of their teeth. More than two thirds (75%) had visited a dentist and 63 % admitted tooth brushing at least once a day. Daily intake of sugared snacks and drinks ranged from 9% for local sweets and dates or syrups to 32% for sugared milk and tea. The mean sugar frequency score was 10.8 [range: 4 (high) to 16 (low)]. Significantly (p<0.05) higher levels were observed in boys, in children whose mothers had low education and in students who reported brushing their teeth at least once a day. The fluoride concentration in the water samples ranged from 0.13 to 0.14 mg/L. Conclusions: In spite of relatively high sugar intake and low frequency of tooth brushing and suboptimal fluoride contents in drinking water, DMFT was low and DT was its most important component.