Evaluating Risk Factors of Dental Caries in Children under 6-Years-Old Supported by Welfare Organization of Mashhad in 2012

Dental caries is a common and preventable disease in children. The goal of this study was to evaluate the risk factors of dental caries in children under 6-years-old supported by welfare organization of Mashhad in 2012. A cross sectional study was carried out on 143 children under 6-years-old (63 female, 80 male) from all sub-centers of Mashhad welfare organization. Prevalence and severity of dental caries (dmft) was evaluated and a caries risk factors questionnaire was completed. The results were statistically analyzed using Chi-Square and Mann-Withney tests. Caries prevalence was 81.1% and the mean dmft was 6.1±5.4, in which decay (d) was the major component. Age, complications during pregnancy, dental plaque, white spot, deep fissures, initial caries of occlusal fissures, treatment within the past 2 years, dental extraction due to caries and the childs mother or caregivers DMFT were factors correlated with dental caries in children. Caries prevalence was high among the study population, which could be partly due to inadequate attention of the children's caregivers and their lack of knowledge regarding oral hygiene.