Abstract
BackgroundThis study aimed to explore the trend and risk indicators for dental caries of children aged 12 years in China based on national oral health survey data in 2005 and 2015.MethodsResearch data were from the two latest national oral health surveys conducted in mainland China, including 30 and 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in 2005 and 2015, respectively. Children aged 12 years were clinically examined for dental caries and dental fluorosis according to the World Health Organization criteria. Sociodemographic characteristics and oral health-related behaviours were collected using questionnaires. Multilevel zero-inflated negative binomial regression model was used to investigate the association between dental caries severity and dental fluorosis, sociodemographic characteristics, and oral health-related behaviours.ResultsThe final analyses included 12,350 and 27,818 children surveyed in 2005 and 2015, respectively. The standardized prevalence of dental caries increased from 27.05% (95% confidence interval [CI], 24.25-28.85) in 2005 to 37.92% (95% CI, 34.94-40.90) in 2015, and the respective standardized mean decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT) index scores increased from 0.50 (standard deviation [SD], 1.04) to 0.83 (SD, 1.45) (P < 0.001). Fujian province had the highest increase in dental caries, followed by Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Hainan, and Yunnan. Results revealed that children who were girls, more frequently experienced dental pain, and had more recent dental visits, had significantly higher DMFT scores after adjusting for the survey year and other variables (all P < 0.05).ConclusionsDental caries of 12-year-old children in China deteriorated from 2005 to 2015, particularly in the northeast and southwest regions. Dental caries was associated with sex, dental pain, and dental service utilization.
Highlights
This study aimed to explore the trend and risk indicators for dental caries of children aged 12 years in China based on national oral health survey data in 2005 and 2015
Distributions of children according to sex, ethnicity, toothbrushing frequency, dental fluorosis, and province-level variables were not significantly different between the 2005 and 2015 survey participants
The present study describes the trend in dental caries status among 12-year-old children in China from 2005 to 2015 using national survey data
Summary
This study aimed to explore the trend and risk indicators for dental caries of children aged 12 years in China based on national oral health survey data in 2005 and 2015. As one of the most common chronic diseases, remains a major public health burden worldwide [1]. According to the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016 (GBD 2016), dental caries of permanent teeth have the highest prevalence and the second highest incidence [2]. Dental caries is a multifactorial and dynamic disease [4]. It shares common risk factors with other non-communicable diseases, including the consumption of free sugar, and their underlying social and commercial determinants of health [5, 6]. Twelve-year-old children have the early stage of permanent dentition, and their oral health status influences their following decades of life. It is essential to prevent and detect oral diseases at an early stage
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