Early Childhood Caries Experience, Oral Hygiene Status And Associated Oral Health Habits Among Preschool Children In Tandale, Dar Es Salaam

Abstract

Background A high Early Childhood Caries (ECC) experience in the primary dentition can manifest in negative impacts on the child's Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL). It is reported that high prevalence and caries experience among preschool children is frequently precipitated by poor oral health practices particularly among the children from low-income setting. Study objective: The main objective of this study was to determine the ECC experience, oral hygiene status and associated oral health habits among preschool children attending informal schools in Tandale, Dar es Salaam. Study settings: Informal preschools in Tandale Ward, Dar es Salaam. Study Population: A total of 297 preschool children aged between 36-72 months attending informal schools in Tandale Ward. Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study. Materials and Methods Stratified random sampling was used to select the informal preschool followed by convenient sampling procedure to select the children in each school. A pretested semi-structured questionnaire was administered to the caregivers to obtain information on their socio-demographic characteristics, children’s oral hygiene practices, weaning patterns and dietary habits. Clinical oral examination was subsequently carried out among the children to determine the presence of dental caries and plaque. xiv Data analysis Data was analyzed using the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 20 for Windows. Where appropriate, dichotomization of the data was carried out. Bivariate and multivariate statistical tests were used to determine the association among the variables. The results were considered significant when the p value was ≤ 0.05. Results The prevalence of ECC was 70% with a dmft of 4.19(±4.52 SD). High caries experience was positively associated with poor oral hygiene (p=0.000), low frequency of tooth brushing (p=0.021) and high frequency of consumption of cariogenic snacks (p=0.029).No significant association was found between caries experience and the caregiver’s socio-demographic characteristics (p≥0.05). Conclusion The high ECC experience among preschool children in Tandale Ward, Dar es Salaam positively associated with poor oral hygiene status, low frequency of tooth brushing and high frequency of consumption of cariogenic snacks.