Socio-economic and health determinants of untreated Dental Caries Burden of a group of children in rural Sri Lanka

Abstract

Introduction/Background: Dental caries is a result of complex interactions between an array of biological, social and environmental factors. Since dental diseases are the 4th most expensive disease to be treated, poor people may not have financial security to access for treatments of dental caries of their children unless free oral health care services are provided. The low socio-economic status is categorized as a risk factor for dental caries along with equally important life-style-related factors such as high refined sugar consumption and poor oral hygiene. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to explore the relationship between prevalence and the severity of untreated dental caries with selected socio-economic and health service factors. A multi stage cluster sampling technique was employed to select 479 Grade I school children attending to Government schools of Wellawaya MOH area. A self- administered questionnaire was used to collect socio- demographic information. Dental caries was recorded using dmft index and severity of untreated dental caries was recorded using pufa index. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 20.The relationship of prevalence and severity of untreated dental caries with soc-economic and health service factors was assessed using Chi -square test. Results: There was a significant differences of untreated dental caries prevalence among children by different levels of father’s education (p =0 .027) and levels of family income (p= 0.018) There was a significant difference of severity of untreated dental caries among children by different levels of father’s occupation (p=0.001) and family income (p= 0.013). Conclusion: Prevalence of untreated dental caries was significantly associated with father’s educational attainment. Severity of untreated dental caries of children was significantly associated with father’s occupational status. Moreover, prevalence and severity of untreated dental caries of children were significantly associated with family income there by demonstrating oral health inequality patterned by their socio-economic status.