The prevalence of dental caries and related factors in children aged 7 and 8 years: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background and Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of dental caries and related factors in children aged 7 and 8 years. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 2229 elementary school students aged 7 and 8 years old using the census method. A valid and reliable researcher-made questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 24 using Chi-square, One-way ANOVA, Independent Sample t-test, and logistic regression. Results: The mean (standard deviation) of total DMFT of students was 3.65 (2.98). The mean (standard deviation) of DMFT for the 7-year-old and 8-year-old age groups were 3.95 (3.23) and 3.65 (2.93), respectively.The DMFT level of boys was significantly higher than that of girls (p<0.05). The prevalence of dental caries among all students, 7-year-old and 8-year-old students were 82%, 83.22% and 81.33%, respectively. The results of logistic regression showed that there was a significant relationship between mother’s education level and insurance with DMFT index (p<0.05). Conclusion: Due to the high prevalence of decay of deciduous teeth in 7and 8-year-oldstudents, training courses to enhance oral health literacy for parents and students, increasing children’s access to oral health services can be effective in preventing dental caries in children.