Thirunavukkarasu Ashokkumar, Alaqidi Sultan Fadel
Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Jouf University, Sakaka 72388, Saudi Arabia.
Department of General Dental Services, Dental Clinic Complex, North Riyadh 123216, Saudi Arabia.
Healthcare (Basel). 2024 Jul 10;12(14):1376. doi: 10.3390/healthcare12141376.
Early childhood caries (ECC) is not merely a problem of the tooth; rather, it has negative impacts on the child's growth and development and oral health-related quality of life. The prevalence of ECC varies widely, and more variance is observed between countries than continents, and it changes over time. The current cross-sectional study aimed to determine ECC's prevalence, associated factors, and severity. This study was conducted in the Dental Clinic Complex, North Riyadh, KSA. The study sample included 306 participants between 36 and 71 months of age. A questionnaire was developed to collect information from participants. The decaying and filled teeth (DMFT) index was used to estimate the prevalence of caries. The study results revealed the prevalence of ECC to be 76% among 36- to 71-month-old children in North Riyadh. ECC is influenced by socioeconomic factors like maternal occupation, education, oral hygiene habits, and dietary patterns. Also, it was found that exclusively breastfed children have lower ECC odds (68.1% vs. 83.6%, = 0.001), while the intake of more than three between-meal sugar-containing snacks/beverages per day increases the likelihood of ECC (63.5% vs. 79.8%, = 0.006). The researchers recommend encouraging breastfeeding as it correlates with lower ECC prevalence, in addition to establishing effective oral hygiene practices for preschool children.
幼儿龋齿（ECC）不仅仅是牙齿的问题；相反，它会对儿童的生长发育以及与口腔健康相关的生活质量产生负面影响。ECC的患病率差异很大，国家之间的差异比各大洲之间的差异更大，并且会随时间变化。当前的横断面研究旨在确定ECC的患病率、相关因素和严重程度。本研究在沙特阿拉伯利雅得北部的牙科综合诊所进行。研究样本包括306名年龄在36至71个月之间的参与者。设计了一份问卷以收集参与者的信息。使用龋失补（DMFT）指数来估计龋齿的患病率。研究结果显示，利雅得北部36至71个月大儿童的ECC患病率为76%。ECC受到社会经济因素的影响，如母亲的职业、教育程度、口腔卫生习惯和饮食模式。此外，研究发现纯母乳喂养的儿童患ECC的几率较低（68.1%对83.6%，P = 0.001），而每天摄入超过三份含添加糖的零食/饮料会增加患ECC的可能性（63.5%对79.8%，P = 0.006）。研究人员建议鼓励母乳喂养，因为它与较低的ECC患病率相关，此外还应为学龄前儿童建立有效的口腔卫生习惯。
