1
MSc Student, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
2
Dentist, Varamin Health and Treatment Network, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Varamin, Iran
3
Assistant Professor, Regional Knowledge Hub for HIV/AIDS Surveillance, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
4
Sheikh Bahai Microsurgery Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Background: Early dental caries in childhood is one of the health problems. This survey was carried out to determine the prevalence of dental caries and its contributing factors among 3-6 year old children in Varamin, Iran kindergartens. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 838 children aged 3-6 years from Varamin kindergartens were selected by census and examined for dental caries using WHO criteria. Variables including age, gender and the location of kindergarten were recorded in a check list. The socioeconomic state of kindergartens’ locations, were classified as high, moderate and low level by the consensus of 5 informative natives and governmental experts. Data were analyzed using Kappa, Mann-Whitney U, Chi-Square, Kruskull Wallis, and Spearman's Correlation Coefficient. Results: The mean score of dmft index (Decayed/ Missed/ Filled Tooth) in the studied children was 3.99±4.30 and 28.2% of children were caries free. dmft score showed a significant direct relationship with age. Children in rural areas had significant higher mean dmft score compared to children in urban areas (P=0.056). There was no significant statistical difference between dmft and gender or socioeconomic status of the location of kindergartens. Conclusion: The results indicate a high prevalence of early dental caries in Varamin children. Therefore, particular emphasis should be placed on educational and interventional programs, especially for mothers and kindergarten nurses and trainers.
Nabipour, A. R., Azvar, K., Zolala, F., Ahmadinia, H. & Soltani, Z. (2013). The Prevalence of Early Dental Caries and Its Contributing Factors among
3-6-Year-Old Children in Varamin, Iran. Health and Development Journal, 2(1), 12–21.
MLA
Nabipour, A. R., Azvar, K., Zolala, F., Ahmadinia, H., & Soltani, Z. "The Prevalence of Early Dental Caries and Its Contributing Factors among
3-6-Year-Old Children in Varamin, Iran", Health and Development Journal, 2, 1, 2013, 12–21.
HARVARD
Nabipour, A. R., Azvar, K., Zolala, F., Ahmadinia, H., & Soltani, Z. (2013). 'The Prevalence of Early Dental Caries and Its Contributing Factors among
3-6-Year-Old Children in Varamin, Iran', Health and Development Journal, 2(1), pp. 12–21.
CHICAGO
Nabipour, A. R., Azvar, K., Zolala, F., Ahmadinia, H. & Soltani, Z., "The Prevalence of Early Dental Caries and Its Contributing Factors among
3-6-Year-Old Children in Varamin, Iran." Health and Development Journal, 2 1 (2013): 12–21,
VANCOUVER
Nabipour A. R., Azvar K., Zolala F., Ahmadinia H., Soltani Z. The Prevalence of Early Dental Caries and Its Contributing Factors among
3-6-Year-Old Children in Varamin, Iran. Health and Development Journal. 2013;2(1):12–21.