Oral Health Status, Oral Care Behaviours, and Snack Consumption among Elementary School Children in Chiang Sean District, Chiang Rai
Abstract
Purpose: To identify the prevalence of dental caries in the form of decayed-missing- filled teeth for the permanent (DMFT) and primary (dmft) dentition, and their risk factors among children between 6 and 12 years of age attending a public school in Chiang Rai in northern Thailand.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 6–12-year-old children attending public education at Thesaban 1 School, Chiang Saen District, Chiang Rai Province in Thailand. All school children from grades 1 to 6 were examined by trained dental students from School of Dentistry, Mae Fah Luang University in December 2023. Children were clinically examined for DMFT/dmft while demographic information about the children was collected from school records. Children also responded to a standardized 17-item survey about their oral health care behaviours. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used. All tests were set at 95% CI and p>0.05.
Results: A total of 232 children were examined and 96 (40%) responded to the survey. Results revealed that 82.5% of the 232 children exhibited dental caries/extraction/fillings in primary teeth. The average dmft was 4.1 (1.8–8.8) and the average DMFT was 1.6 (0.1–3.3). Most children had at least one permanent tooth with sealant (n=198, 85.3%). A total of 80 children (34.55%) snacked 4 or more times a day. Data from school records showed 50 children (21.5%) had their grandparents as their main caregiver. Children who brushed their teeth without fluoridated toothpaste were 1.99 times more likely to have at least 1 permanent tooth with dental decay than children who used fluoridated toothpaste (p=0.065).
Conclusion: In this study, a high percentage of dental caries was observed among children from suburban areas in the northernmost province of Thailand. The children who use toothpaste without fluoride are more likely to have tooth decay than children who use fluoride toothpaste. Public health intervention and oral health promotion remain an immediate need among these children.
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