Effect of cariogenic food exposure on prevalence of dental caries among fee and non-fee paying Nigerian schoolchildren.

Dental caries status, frequency of sweet consumption and method of toothcleaning of 180 Nigerian elementary schoolchildren aged 8-15 yr were investigated by clinical examination and questionnaire technique. The highest frequency of sweet consumption was recorded for the fee-paying pupils, who also had statistically significantly higher caries prevalence than in non-fee paying schools (P less than 0.001). About 48% and 24% of the fee and non-fee paying pupils respectively had dental caries. There was no significant difference in the sex distribution of the disease (P greater than 0.05). However, there was a significant difference (P less than 0.001) between methods of cleaning the teeth in the two types of schools. The majority (95%) of the fee-paying pupils used only a toothbrush while 51% of the non-fee paying pupils used a chewing stick. Methods for restricting the use of sweet snacks in addition to oral hygiene instruction are discussed as important means to reduce the increasing caries prevalence in schoolchildren in developing countries.