Caries prevalence, clinical consequences and self-reported pain experienced by children living in the West Bank

Abstract

AimTo investigate both caries prevalence and clinical consequences experienced by deprived children in the West Bank, using a child-centred approach.Materials and methodsChildren were invited by their social workers to attend free dental screening sessions held across clinics in the north of the West Bank. Data were collected using the dmft/DMFT and pufa/PUFA indices. Dental pain was reported by children using the Wong-Baker FACES® pain scale. Data were analysed using SPSS Version 22.0.ResultsData were collected for 177 children aged 4 to 18 years. Caries prevalence was 95.5% with only eight children presenting clinically caries-free. The sample had a dmft of 3.88, and DMFT of 3.44. The Care Index was calculated at 0.1 (mft/dmft). Clinical consequences of caries were identified in 64% of the sample, with a mean pufa score of 2.12, and a PUFA score of 0.55. Dental pain was experienced by 45% of children.ConclusionDeprived children living in the West Bank experience high levels of untreated dental caries, with significant clinical consequences and self-reported pain.