Pilot survey on dental health in 5-12-year-old school children in Laos.

AIM: The burden of dental caries in young Lao children is high. As a result, these children suffer from toothache, and school absenteeism is high. There is a need for the Lao Government to develop a strategy to prevent dental disease, such as caries. The aim of this study was to collect data on the oral health status of PDR children in order to enable the Lao Government to develop strategies on dental health care. METHODS: An oral examination, following World Health Organization guidelines, was performed on 289 school children aged 5-12 years in Vientiane, Laos. RESULTS: Caries prevalence was high in the present sample (average = 85.4%), as well as mean decayed, missing, and filled teeth index (primary and secondary) levels. Nearly all caries were untreated. A trend was observed showing lower caries levels in children who brushed their teeth daily at school. CONCLUSIONS: The burden of dental caries for Loa children is high, while the oral care index is nearly zero. Clearly, this has serious resource and management implications, and the strategy of the government must be on prevention (at a young age), awareness of oral diseases, pain relief. More than anything else, prompt action is required.

The prevalence of caries in children with a cleft lip and/or palate in Southern Vietnam.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of caries in South Vietnamese children with a known oral cleft. SETTING: The children were screened at local dental hospitals in five different cities in southern Vietnam. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred fifty-four children aged 4 to 6, 11 to 13, and 14 to 16 years old with a cleft lip, cleft palate, or both were included in the study. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: For every age group, clefts were divided in four types. The dmft/DMFT was specified according to criteria of the World Health Organization (1997). RESULTS: The mean number of teeth affected by caries was 9.95 for 4- to 6-year-old children, 2.97 for 11- to 13-year-old children, and 4.93 for 14- to 16-year-old children, respectively. Four- to 6-year-old children with a unilateral or bilateral cleft lip and palate had significantly more caries and a higher dmft (decayed, missing, and filled teeth index) than children of the same age with only a cleft lip or a cleft lip and alveolus. CONCLUSIONS: Vietnamese children with an oral cleft have high numbers of teeth affected by dental caries, and special attention will be necessary for their oral health.