ASSESSING EARLY CHILDHOOD CARIES AND UNTREATED DENTAL CARIES AMONG CHILDREN AGED 3 TO 5 YEARS IN CAN THO CITY, VIETNAM

Tóm tắt

Background: Oral health is a crucial determinant of an individual's quality of life, especially for children during their developmental years. Early childhood caries (ECC) is one of the most common diseases in children. The prevalence of ECC varies across regions, and understanding these regional differences is essential for the implementation of targeted public health interventions. Objectives: To report the prevalence of ECC and the clinical consequences of untreated dental caries (UDC) among preschool children from urban and rural areas of Can Tho city. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in Ninh Kieu district (urban area) and Vinh Thanh district (rural area) through random selection. A purposive sampling technique was employed, with a total sample size of 487 children. ECC was assessed using the DMFT index, while UDC was evaluated using the PUFA index. Oral hygiene status was assessed using the Silness & Löe plaque index (PI). The Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test were used to analyze differences between age and gender groups. The correlation between the DMFT, PUFA, and PI indices was assessed using Spearman's correlation coefficient. Results: The prevalence of ECC in children aged 3–5 years in Can Tho City was 89.5%, while the prevalence of UDC was 25.1%, with no statistically significant difference between genders. The mean dmft score was 8.27 ± 5.72, and the mean pufa index was 0.75 ± 1.89. The mean significant caries index (SiC) was 14.88 ± 2.62. The correlation between the DMFT, PUFA, and PI indices was significantly positive (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The prevalence of ECC within this population is notably high, underscoring the critical need for early detection and intervention. Policymakers should prioritize the identification and mitigation of key risk factors associated with ECC.