Factors Affecting Dental Caries among Junior High School Students in Na Wa District, Nakhon Phanom Province

Abstract

This cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to explore dental health status, and relationship between characteristic factors, oral health care knowledge, attitude, behaviors and dental caries among junior high school students in Na Wa District, Nakhon Phanom Province. The sample consisted of 278 students and selected by multistage randomization. Data were collected using questionnaires, and oral health examination records form. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and Chi-Square Test.

The results show that the majority of them had oral health care knowledge at high level, 70.5 percent, attitude at moderate level, 76.3 percent, and behavior at moderate level, 83.5 percent. The DMFT was 1.8 teeth/person and permanent tooth decay index was 1.27 teeth/person, females had more dental caries than males with statistical significance (p-value=0.028). The relationship between oral health care behavior and dental caries was statistically significant (p-value=0.025).

As the results, schools should provide a policy such as brushing teeth after lunch and oral health check-ups from dental personnel at least once a year for students in order to they can recognize and realize their own oral health problems.