Caries in primary school children: Prevalence, severity and pattern in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

The objectives of the study were to determine the caries prevalence, severity and pattern in primary school children of Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. Four hundred and fifty seven randomly selected primary school children were examined for this purpose. The result showed caries prevalence of 82.9% with a mean dmft of 4.45 [S.D. 3.76]. The mean dmft difference between male and female children was statistically significant [p<0.0001]. The mean dmft of urban children was significantly [p<0.0001] lower than that of their rural counterparts. There was no significant difference in caries severity in terms of socioeconomic status of the children [p=0.520]. Similarly, no significant caries prevalence difference was found in terms of gender. area and socioeconomic status. The teeth most affected by caries were mandibular first primary molars [46.6%]. The least affected teeth were mandibular primary central incisors [3.95%]