Early Childhood Caries Prevalence in KSA

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   Prevalence of Dental Caries

   Early Childhood Caries risk group

•Prevalence of Dental Caries

•5 times more common than asthma

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•7 times more common than hay fever

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Caries Rate

•18% aged 2 to 4 years

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•52% aged 6 to 8 years

•67% aged 12 to 17 years

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among children in Saudi Arabia, including

preschool children.10-12 Several studies have

reported caries prevalence among preschool

children in various parts of Saudi Arabia.10-12 Wyne

et al.10 examined a random sample of preschool

children in Al-Ahsa, in the Eastern Region of

Saudi Arabia, and reported a caries prevalence

of 62.7% with a mean dmft score of 2.9 in

those children. Al-Malik et al. reported a caries

prevalence of 73% with a mean dmft score of 4.8

among a random sample of 2-5-year-old children

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Paul examined 5-year-old children in two

nurseries in Al-Kharj, a small town in the Central

Region of Saudi Arabia, and reported a caries

prevalence of 83.5% with a mean dmft score of

8.5 among these children

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A total of 789 preschool children, 379 (48%) male

and 410 (52%) female, were examined for dental

caries. Mean age of the children was 4.7 (SD

0.5) years ranging from three to five years. Three

hundred and fifty one (44.5%) children were from

government preschools and 438 (55.5%) from

private preschools.

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The overall caries prevalence

among the sample was 74.8%. There was no

significant difference (p>.05) in caries prevalence

in relation to gender of the children. However,

the caries prevalence was significantly higher

(p<.05) among children in government preschools

as compared to children in private preschools

(Table 1).

•Table 1. Caries prevalence in relation to gender and type of preschool.

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•Table 2. Tooth-specific caries prevalence in preschool children.

•High-Risk Groups for Caries

•Children with special health care needs

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•Children from low socioeconomic and ethnocultural groups

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•Children with suboptimal exposure to topical
or systemic fluoride

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•Children with poor dietary and feeding habits

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•Children whose caregivers and/or siblings
have caries

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•Children with visible caries, white spots,
plaque, or decay

•Socioeconomic Factors

The rate of early childhood dental caries is near epidemic proportions in populations with low socioeconomic status.

•Ethnocultural Factors

•Increased rate of dental caries in certain ethnic groups

•Diet/feeding practices and child-rearing techniques influenced by culture

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Thank you

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