Citation Information :
Joseph R, Issac JS, Girija P, Shirli AD. Early Childhood Caries as Influenced by Maternal and Child Characteristics in the Age-group of 24–71 Months Using pufa/PUFA Index. World J Dent 2024; 15 (6):514-519.
Aims: To assess the prevalence and severity of early childhood caries (ECC) in children, using the pulpal involvement, ulceration, fistula, abscess primary teeth/pulpal involvement, ulceration, fistula, abscess permanent teeth (pufa/PUFA) index, and to evaluate the associated risk factors in the development of ECC in children aged 24–71 months in Kollam district, Kerala, India.
Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out for a duration of 18 months among 400 children aged 24–71 months and their mothers in Kollam district, Kerala, India. The indices used to evaluate dental caries and the consequence of untreated dental caries were the decayed, missing, filled surfaces primary teeth/decayed, missing, filled surfaces permanent teeth (dmfs/DMFS) index and pufa/PUFA index, respectively. The study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, data were generated through a structured questionnaire, and in the second phase, clinical examinations of children and their mothers were conducted. All the data collected were entered into a Microsoft Excel datasheet and were statistically analyzed.
Results: The overall prevalence of caries and untreated dental caries (PUFA) among children was 63.3 and 51.1%, respectively. Maternal factors such as increased DMFS and PUFA scores, lack of awareness regarding prolonged use of bottles in a child's mouth, and maternal sharing of utensils were found to be major risk factors in identifying children susceptible to caries. Feeding habits of the child, including feeding frequency, type of feeding, and presence of nighttime feeding, were other factors associated with ECC.
Conclusion: The results of this study showed a high prevalence of ECC and associated pulpal pathology in children and their mothers.
Clinical significance: Maintaining a healthy primary dentition is always important for children's well-being. The associated pain from untreated caries has a negative impact on a child's overall development. Hence, early detection and prevention of ECC is of utmost importance.
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