Description of Dental Caries in Primary Molars and the Effect of Giving Dental Health Education on Dental and Oral Hygiene in Preschooler

Abstract

Caries is a tooth surface disease characterized by demineralization caused by acids produced by bacteria during the metabolism of sugar food. Molars are the primary teeth that are most prone to caries. One of the causes of caries is poor dental and oral hygiene. Preschoolers have a lower awareness of and adherence to oral hygiene, increasing the risk of caries. The objective of this study was to examine the caries description of primary molars as well as the effect of dental health education on dental and oral hygiene in preschooler. This study was pre-experimental, with a one-group pretest-posttest design model and a purposive sampling technique. The sample size was 66 children aged 4 to 6 years who attended five preschool facilities in the agro-industrial environment in Arjasa District. SPSS was used to analyze data obtained from objective examinations and questionnaires. The findings included the distribution of primary molars with the most caries-free category in the maxillary first and second primary molars, the distribution of caries in primary molars with the category of enamel caries spread evenly across all maxillary and mandibular primary molars, the distribution of caries in primary molars with the categories Dentin and pulp caries were most common in mandibular first and second primary molars, and the provision of dental health education could improve dental and oral hygiene in preschooler.