Abstract
Background: This study was done to evaluate the prevalence and contributory factors of early childhood caries (ECC) and severe ECC (S-ECC) among preschool children of Kindergartens and Early Childhood Centres in Trinidad and Tobago. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out involving 342 preschool children aged 3 to 5 years. The school staff distributed a structured questionnaire to the children to be completed by the mother. Clinical examinations were conducted by calibrated examiners. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05 in all analyses. Results: The prevalence of ECC and S-ECC was 50.3% and 52.3%, respectively. Dietary and oral hygiene factors particularly with bottle feeding and high plaque levels were major contributors to dental caries in this population. Conclusion: ECC and S-ECC are significant issues that occur in preschool children in Trinidad and Tobago. The development of ECC and S-ECC can be attributed to certain environmental factors like dietary habits and oral hygiene practices. Early dental assessment, broad-based oral health education programmes, increased parental/guardian engagement during oral hygiene practices and greater access to facilities for early childhood caries prevention and management can help alleviate the problems of ECC and S-ECC in this population.
Highlights
Three-hundred-and-seventy-five questionnaires and consent forms were distributed to the parents of the children attending the selected kindergartens and early childhood centres
The children in this study found with high plaque scores were found to have more caries experience
This study revealed that there are high levels of dental caries
Summary
According to the American Academy of Paediatric Dentistry (AAPD), the presence of one or more decayed teeth, missing (due to caries) or filled tooth surfaces in any primary tooth in a child aged 71 months or younger is considered to be Early Childhood Caries (ECC) [1].The definition of severe early childhood caries (S-ECC) is any sign of smooth-surface caries in a child younger than three years of age and from ages three through five, of one or more cavitated, missing (due to caries) or filled smooth surfaces in primary maxillary anterior teeth or a decayed, missing or filled score of greater than or equal to four (age 3), greater than or equal to five (age 4), or greater than or equal to six (age 5) [2].ECC is a multifactorial and progressive disease that is heavily influenced by particular dietary and oral hygiene practices in the presence of cariogenic microorganisms over time [3,4]. According to the American Academy of Paediatric Dentistry (AAPD), the presence of one or more decayed teeth, missing (due to caries) or filled tooth surfaces in any primary tooth in a child aged 71 months or younger is considered to be Early Childhood Caries (ECC) [1]. It is known to be a significant health problem in both developing and industrialised countries [5,6] It is one of the most chronic childhood conditions and has debilitating outcomes for both the patients and their families.
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