IADR Abstract Archives
Prevalence of Untreated Early Childhood Caries of 5-Year-old Children in Hong Kong: a Cross-Sectional Study
Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of untreated early childhood caries (ECC) and its associated factors among the 5-year-old children in Hong Kong.
Methods: This cross-sectional survey recruited 5-year-old children in 2019 using a multistage sampling method. One trained dentist performed the oral examination in kindergarten to diagnose untreated ECC of the children at cavitation level. The child’s demographic information, snacking behaviour, and oral health-related practice was collected using a parental questionnaire. The relationships between the untreated ECC (dt) and background information, snacking behaviours and oral health-related practice was analysed by zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression analysis.
Results: This survey recruited 404 children. Their prevalence of untreated ECC was 57 %, and the mean dt (±SD) score was 2.8 ± 3.8. The untreated caries prevalence was associated with the region of the child’s living. Among the 230 children with untreated ECC, 164 children had never visited a dentist (71%). The significant untreated ECC index which is the dt of the one-third of the children with the highest caries score was 7.1 ± 3.6. Children who brushed teeth without toothpaste had higher dt scores than those brushed with toothpaste. ZINB analysis found that children came from low-income families and with lower maternal education level had a higher chance of having untreated ECC.
Conclusions: More than half of the Hong Kong 5-year-old children had untreated ECC and majority of them had no dental visit. The untreated ECC was unevenly distributed, and its prevalence was associated with the child’s use of toothpaste for brushing, family income and maternal education level.
Methods: This cross-sectional survey recruited 5-year-old children in 2019 using a multistage sampling method. One trained dentist performed the oral examination in kindergarten to diagnose untreated ECC of the children at cavitation level. The child’s demographic information, snacking behaviour, and oral health-related practice was collected using a parental questionnaire. The relationships between the untreated ECC (dt) and background information, snacking behaviours and oral health-related practice was analysed by zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression analysis.
Results: This survey recruited 404 children. Their prevalence of untreated ECC was 57 %, and the mean dt (±SD) score was 2.8 ± 3.8. The untreated caries prevalence was associated with the region of the child’s living. Among the 230 children with untreated ECC, 164 children had never visited a dentist (71%). The significant untreated ECC index which is the dt of the one-third of the children with the highest caries score was 7.1 ± 3.6. Children who brushed teeth without toothpaste had higher dt scores than those brushed with toothpaste. ZINB analysis found that children came from low-income families and with lower maternal education level had a higher chance of having untreated ECC.
Conclusions: More than half of the Hong Kong 5-year-old children had untreated ECC and majority of them had no dental visit. The untreated ECC was unevenly distributed, and its prevalence was associated with the child’s use of toothpaste for brushing, family income and maternal education level.