Abstract
Introduction: Dental caries though preventable oral health problem is affecting school children worldwide and around 50% of Nepalese children are suffering from it. Baseline data with good understanding of dental caries and associated risk factors are necessary to form preventive strategies for setting and achieving oral health goals.
 Objective: This study was conducted to determine dental caries experience and associated risk factors among school-going children of 6-13 years old in Dharan sub-metropolitan city, Nepal.
 Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from 5th Jan 2018 to 4th Jan 2019 among 680 school children selected by multistage cluster sampling method. Pretested, standardized, closed-ended questionnaire answered by the parents was used to gather information regarding the associated risk factors. Dental caries experience was obtained from deft/DMFT (WHO modification 1997). Comparison of categorical data was done using Chi-square test. Multivariable binary logistic regressions were used for the statistical analysis.
 Results: The overall caries prevalence was 61.6%, in primary dentition it was 48.25% and in permanent dentition it was 34.4%. Dental caries experience was with mean deft 4.67 (±2.7) in primary dentition and mean DMFT 1.72 (±1.05).in permanent dentition. Multivariate analysis showed significant association between dental caries experience and grade three and grade four school children had experienced greater caries (p<0.05, OR =2.7). Dental caries was associated with eating sweets at night (p<0.001, OR=2.5) and snacking in-between meals (p<0.001, OR=2.5).
 Conclusions: Dental caries among school-children in Dharan showed a significant burden especially within the primary dentition. It was significantly associated with factors like feeding habits -eating sweets in a day, eating sweets at night and snaking in between meals
Highlights
Dental caries though preventable oral health problem is affecting school children worldwide and around 50% of Nepalese children are suffering from it
This study aimed to assess the dental caries experience and its associated risk factors in 6-13 years old school children in Dharan sub-metropolitan city. It was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted amongst 6-13 years old school children of Dharan submetropolitan city of eastern Nepal
Sample size for this study had been calculated considering 56% prevalence of dental caries from the study done by Bhagat TK et al
Summary
Dental caries though preventable oral health problem is affecting school children worldwide and around 50% of Nepalese children are suffering from it. Dental caries is one of the major global oral health problems as it affects majority of school children worldwide.. Dental caries is one of the major global oral health problems as it affects majority of school children worldwide.1 It is Bastola S B, Koirala B, Dali M, Shrestha S, Baral D.wal SK. There is a strong scientific support for the efficacy of fluoridated toothpaste and frequency of tooth brushing to have a significant association with caries prevalence.. There is a strong scientific support for the efficacy of fluoridated toothpaste and frequency of tooth brushing to have a significant association with caries prevalence.6-8 Food habit is another factor having greater influence in dental caries.. Studies have established relative importance of associated factor with dental caries experience like parent’s low education, unemployment, low income, cariogenic diet all affecting caries risk. There is a strong scientific support for the efficacy of fluoridated toothpaste and frequency of tooth brushing to have a significant association with caries prevalence. Food habit is another factor having greater influence in dental caries. Caries risk is increased if the Journal of Nepalese Association of Pediatric Dentistry : Vol 2, No 1, Jan-Dec, 2021
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