Dental Caries Status and Factors that Relates to the Prevalence of Caries in Pathom 6 Primary School in Laksi District BMA and Private School

Abstract

Dental Caries Status and Factors that Relates to the Prevalence of Caries in Pathom 6 Primary School in Laksi District BMA and Private School

Maj. Niphon Puyakul   DDS

Health center 53, Health Department, BMA

Objective: To evaluate dental health status in prathom 6 primary school from BMA and private school.

Study design: Retrospective analytic study.

Subjects: The 98 students who studied in primary 6 primary school from BMA (Laksi district) in condition that living in this school for five years and 91 students in private school in the same condition were studied between May 2004 - December 2004 by non probablility sampling.

Methods: The students in two groups were chosen to tooth examination by WHO dental survey form (applied) and interviewed following a structured questionnaire covering knowledge, attitude, oral hygiene practices; eating habit and got information of family's socioeconomic ; parent's education and other starts in their family.

Main outcome measure: Dental caries index by decayed missing and filled permanent tooth

Results: 62.9% of these BMA students had dental caries with the mean DMFT was 1.8 (mean decayed 1.65, mean missing 0.03, mean filling 0.2) while 37.6% of private school students, the mean DMFT was 1.0 (mean decayed 0.64, mean missing 0.01, mean filling 0.35) and when compared together, two groups had significant association with mean DMFT at p = 0.001. In socioeconomic starts, parent's education in BMA school group was lower than parent's education of private school group However, there was no statistical difference in the average score of knowledge, attitude and practices. (p>0.05)

Conclusion: Dental caries starts of private school was better than BMA school group, factors which had difference were socioeconomic status, dental heath service in one year by dentist. But no significant in oral health knowledge, attitude and practices.

Keyword: Dental caries, BMA and private school.

Vajira Med J 2005 ; 49 : 37 - 45