DENTAL CARIES, ITS PATTERN AND ASSOCIATION WITH ORAL HYGIENE AND BODY MASS INDEX AMONG PRESCHOOLERS IN LAGOS, NIGERIA.

Abstract

Background : Dental caries is multifactorial in origin and results in the dissolution of dental hard tissue. Oral hygiene status and Body mass index (BMI)  has been identified as caries risk factors.

Objectives: The objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between dental caries, oral hygiene status and body mass index in a group of children in Lagos State, Nigeria.

Methodology: This study was designed as a case-control study involving fifty children equally distributed based on who presented with caries (caries-active group) and those without caries (caries-free group). Consent forms were duly signed and assent given to participate in this study.  Oral hygiene was measured using the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S) modified for deciduous dentition. Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated by dividing the weight by the square of height (kg/m²).

Results: The mean dmft recorded in the caries active group was 3.76 ± 2.44, with the majority (80%) of the dmft being in the decayed component in the study. The mandibular second molar was the most affected tooth type in the cavitated category and the mandibular canine was the most affected tooth type in the non-cavitated category. Majority of the subjects had good oral hygiene. There was no statistically significant difference in the oral hygiene index score and BMI score between both groups (p = 0.235 and 0.210 respectively). Linear regression showed that oral hygiene index score individually was a significant predictor of caries experience. Caries experience increased by 2.992 for each unit increase in oral hygiene index score (β = 2.992).

Conclusion: Caries has a multifactorial aetiology inferring that a combination of factors like the oral hygiene index score, body mass index, salivary flow rate, lifestyle and diet can be used to assess individuals with high caries risk. Oral hygiene index score had significant predictive effects on caries experience. The mandibular second molar was the most affected tooth type in the cavitated category and the untreated component of the dmft was 80% which implies low health seeking behaviour of the subjects.

Keywords: Early childhood caries,  Pattern,  Risk factors, Overweight,  Obesity