Dental plaque, preventive care, and tooth brushing associated with dental caries in primary teeth in schoolchildren ages 6-9 years of Leon, Nicaragua

• Published in: Medical science monitor Vol. 19; pp. 1019 - 1026
• Main Authors: Herrera, Miriam del Socorro, Medina-Solís, Carlo Eduardo, Minaya-Sánchez, Mirna, Pontigo-Loyola, América Patricia, Villalobos-Rodelo, Juan José, Islas-Granillo, Horacio, de la Rosa-Santillana, Rubén, Maupomé, Gerardo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States International Scientific Literature, Inc 19.11.2013
• Subjects: Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dental Caries - epidemiology; Dental Caries - etiology; Dental Caries - pathology; Dental Caries - prevention & control; Dental Plaque - complications; Dental Plaque - pathology; Female; Humans; Male; Nicaragua - epidemiology; Public Health; Regression Analysis; Risk Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tooth, Deciduous - pathology; Toothbrushing - statistics & numerical data; Nicaragua
• ISSN: 1643-3750; 1234-1010; 1643-3750
• DOI: 10.12659/MSM.884025

Our study aimed to evaluate the effect of various risk indicators for dental caries on primary teeth of Nicaraguan children (from Leon, Nicaragua) ages 6 to 9, using the negative binomial regression model. A cross-sectional study was carried out to collect clinical, demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral data from 794 schoolchildren ages 6 to 9 years, randomly selected from 25 schools in the city of León, Nicaragua. Clinical examinations for dental caries (dmft index) were performed by 2 trained and standardized examiners. Socio-demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral data were self-reported using questionnaires. Multivariate negative binomial regression (NBR) analysis was used. Mean age was 7.49 ± 1.12 years. Boys accounted for 50.1% of the sample. Mean dmft was 3.54 ± 3.13 and caries prevalence (dmft >0) was 77.6%. In the NBR multivariate model (p<0.05), for each year of age, the expected mean dmft decreased by 7.5%. Brushing teeth at least once a day and having received preventive dental care in the last year before data collection were associated with declines in the expected mean dmft by 19.5% and 69.6%, respectively. Presence of dental plaque increased the expected mean dmft by 395.5%. The proportion of students with caries in this sample was high. We found associations between dental caries in the primary dentition and dental plaque, brushing teeth at least once a day, and having received preventive dental care. To improve oral health, school programs and/or age-appropriate interventions need to be developed based on the specific profile of caries experience and the associated risk indicators.