The oral health status and dental health behavior of children aged group 12 years old in primary school, Nongkhai province, 2010

Abstract

The objective of this study was to explore the prevalence of dental caries, periodontal status, dental fluorosis and dental health behavior. A cross sectional survey was conducted in May to August 2010. Sampling with Probability Proportional to size (PPS) was used to select 24 primary schools. The survey samples consisted of 672 children aged 12 years old, which were 342 female and 330 male.  Questionnaire and oral examination form were used to interview and examine by dental personnel. Chi square test was used to test the statistical association.  It was found that 41.96% of the 12 years old children had caries free in permanent teeth. Mean DMFT was 1.53 teeth per person. Prevalence of dental fluorosis was 3.57%. About 50.45% of children were healthy gingiva. Regarding their risk behavior, 66.96% of the sample drank carbonated soft drink at least once a week with the average of 1.45 days per week, and 11.46% of them consumed snacks more than 3 days/week. During school day children had 15.10 baht/day and 9.18 baht paid for snacks. During weekend the average amount increased to 9.95 baht. The data also showed that 29.36% of children brush their teeth everyday after lunch, while 60.36% brush their teeth before go to bed. By Chi square test, it was found the association between carbonated soft drink and the dental caries (P-value < 0.05). And found the association between gender and dental caries was also statistically significant (female has dental caries more than male).