Caries in children in rural Cambodia

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The aims of the study were to describe caries status of the children in rural Cambodia and to study their oral health habits. METHODS: A field examination was conducted in two villages in Pailin which is inhabited mainly by former Khmer Rouge rebels and their families. All children aged under 18 were invited for an oral examination and children aged 6 and aged 12 were selected for report of caries status of primary and permanent teeth respectively. A parental questionnaire survey was performed to study the children's tooth brushing habits, snacks habits and their diet on the past three days. RESULTS: A total of 149 children participated in this study and their mean age was 10.6±3.0. There were 23 6-year-old children and they all had untreated caries found in their primary teeth. The caries experience as measured by mean dmft was 8.2±5.4. There were 59 12-year-old children who had a mean DMFT of 1.2±1.5. Among them 26 (44%) had no caries experience. A total of 139 questionnaires were collected. The result found about one-third (32%) of children never brushed their teeth. Their meals were all mainly rice/congee and only 26 children (19%) had juice/candies between meals. CONCLUSION: All 6-year-old children examined had untreated caries in primary teeth and the caries experience was high (dmft=8.2). The 12-year-old children had a mean DMFT of 1.2. Their oral health habits needed to be improved as one-third of children never brushed their teeth.