Fast Food Consumption and Dental Caries among Teenagers

Background: Dental caries in teenagers is a significant public health concern. Fast food consumption among teenagers in Bangladesh is steadily increasing. The objectives of the study were to determine the association between fast food consumption and dental caries among teenagers. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from January to December 2022. The calculated sample size was 345 teenagers from two secondary schools in Dhaka city. The convenience sampling technique was used to collect data through face-to-face interviews with a pretested, semi-structured questionnaire. A checklist was also used to collect data through clinical examination of the oral cavity.  By double-checking, data were altered for quality control. Statistical software was used to analyze the data. Results: Among 345 teenagers, the mean ± SD age was 14.88±1.17 years. The majority of the teenagers (53.6%) were female and Muslim (95%). Around 59.4% of the teenagers' fathers were business owners, while 37.4% were government employees. The majority of respondents (73.3%) ate breakfast before going to school and 52.2% took food from the school canteen. The majority (93.3%) ate at outside restaurants, with 90.4% eating fast food. 59.7% of people ate fast food at least once a week. Dental caries affected 36.8% of the teenager who ate fast food (p<0.05). A significant association was found between dental caries and the frequency of fast-food consumption. Among the respondents, 4.8% had dental caries who ate fast food daily (p<0.05). Conclusion: To prevent dental caries, teenagers should avoid eating fast food and snacks between meals and brush their teeth on a regular basis.