Dental Disease Burden Snacking, and Tooth Brushing Habits and Among 13-17-Year-Olds with Fluorosis Compared to those without Dental Fluorosis in Kajiado Kenya

Abstract

The dental disease burden of periodontitis, gingivitis caries, and fluorosis has to be assessed objectively with patients’ understanding and therefore rationalise planning for oral health resources, utilization, and personnel distribution to tackle the disease burden. The study sought to assess the prevalence of dental fluorosis and the snacking and brushing habits to determine the dental disease burden, among 13-17- year- olds who were affected by dental fluorosis in comparison with those who were not affected with dental fluorosis in Kajiado North District of Kenya. The study cross-section and it compared dental disease burden among two age-matched population groups one with varying degrees of dental fluorosis and the second group without dental fluorosis teeth in primary school children aged between 13-15 years of age. Nine primary schools were randomly selected in Kajiado North County which had been purposively selected. The instruments of examination were a questionnaire on child’s biodata. Disease burden was determined through a clinical examination for each child under natural light. Plaque and gingival scores, dental caries the decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT) were, and dental fluorosis was assessed using the Thylstrup Fejerskov index (TFI).