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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CARIOUS EXPERIENCE OF SCHOOLCHILDREN FROM CONSTANTA AND THEIR PARENTS’ SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS

Cristina Nuca, Aureliana Caraiane, Victoria Badea, Mircea Grigorian, Cristina Gabriela Puscasu

Abstract

Despite substantial improvements in oral health in some eastern European countries, several epidemiological studies indicated that the prevalence and severity of dental caries in Romania is still high in all age groups. Aim: the aim of the study was to evaluate the caries experience in permanent teeth of 6-11 year-old schoolchildren from Constanta District, and its relationship with socio-economic status (SES) of the family. Methods: an epidemiological cross-sectional clinical study was carried out in 2013 (april-july) on a randomly selected sample of 600 schoolchildren (3.8% sampling error; 95% confidence level) aged 6-11 years (mean age was 8.7±1.4 years). The clinical examination was performed in school dental clinics by trained and calibrated examiners. Dental caries was diagnosed at the caries into dentine (D3) threshold and the World Health Organisation 1997 criteria for clinical examination and caries data registration were used to produce DMFT/S (Decayed, Missing, Filled-Teeth/Surfaces) indices and their components (DT/S-decayed teeth/surfaces, MT/S-missing teeth/surfaces, FT/S-filled teeth/surfaces). Enamel and precavitated lesions were excluded. The parents’ SES was evaluated using a questionnaire that assessed the parents’occupation and income and the number of the children in family. The ethics committee of Ovidius University approved the study and written parental consent was obtained for each child. Statistical analysis was made using SPSS 19 (descriptive statistics, Sperman correlation). Results: The response rate was 94.3%, the final study sample included 566 schoolchildren (3.9% sampling error; 95% confidence level). The evaluated indices were as follows: DMFT-1.42±1.75, DT-1.31±1.7, FT-0.11±0.42, DMFS-1.99±2.79, DS-1.85±2.73, FS-0.14±0.49 (MT/S=0). There were significant negative correlations (Spearman coefficient; p<0.01) between SES and all caries indices (DMFT/ and DT/S) and there were also significant positive correlations (Spearman coefficient; p<0.01) between SES and the number of filled teeth/surfaces (FT/S). Conclusions: The results of the study revealed a very high level of caries prevalence and dental treatment needs in 6-11 years of age schoolchildren from Constanta, and a strong correlation of these parameters with the socio-economic status of the family.

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