.

ISSN 2063-5346
For urgent queries please contact : +918130348310

Prevalence and risk-factors of early childhood caries among preschool children

Main Article Content

Dr. Kartik Choudhary, Dr. Nitin Awasthi, Dr. Rakesh Kumar Jaiswal, Dr. Pushpa Tiwari, Dr. Sandeep Kumar, Dr. Prakash Singh
» doi: 10.48047/ecb/2023.12.si4.1388

Abstract

This research aims to better understand the risk factors for developing early childhood caries (ECC) in preschoolers. Materials and Methods: Using a standardized questionnaire, a cross-sectional descriptive research was conducted to determine the prevalence of ECC and related risk factors among preschool-aged children. Results: A total of 600 study participants of age 2–6 years are enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Mean age of the participants was 5.1 ± 0.33 years. Most of the study's participants were in the fifth year of life. When the sexes were broken down, females made up 62% of the population while boys made up 38%. Socioeconomic status, maternal education level at birth, length of bottle use, bottle use before bedtime, and bottle use while sleeping, as well as plaque scores, were all significantly associated with caries experience. Conclusion: Five-year-olds had the highest prevalence of ECC compared to children of other ages, and there were significant correlations between ECC and socioeconomic status, mother's education level, developmental characteristics like enamel hypoplasia, feeding practices like prolonged and nocturnal bottle feeding, and clinical parameters like plaque scores.

Article Details