Dental morbidity in children aged 1 to 6 years living in Moscow taking into account age and gender

Abstract

Objective. To study the structure of the dental status of children aged 1 to 6 years. To identify gender differences in the rates of dental morbidity in children of early and preschool age. Materials and methods. To achieve this goal, a cross-sectional epidemiological study (cross-sectional studies) was conducted to study the dental morbidity of the Moscow child population aged 1 to 6 years. Clinical research methods were carried out to determine the dental status of the subjects. The received materials were processed statistically using the Statistica software. For statistical analysis of the prevalence of caries depending on age, the 2 criterion was used for contingency tables. To analyze the relationship between the prevalence of caries among boys and girls, Pearson’s 2 test was used with Yates’ correction for continuity. Categorical variables are presented as absolute and relative frequencies. Results. An analysis of the data obtained as a result of a cross-sectional epidemiological study (cross-sectional studies) of the children’s population of Moscow aged 1 to 6 years showed that the need for oral cavity sanation increases with age, the rate of previously sanitized children in different age periods are changing, there is a decrease in the rate of natural sanation. The prevalence of caries increases as children grow older. A statistically significant dependence of the prevalence of caries on the age group was revealed (2=55.86, df=5, p<0.001). The prevalence of caries increases as children grow older. A statistically significant dependence of the prevalence of caries on the age group was revealed (2=55.86, df=5, p<0.001). Absolute and relative (%) caries prevalence rates are higher in girls in all age groups and lower in boys. But statistically significant differences in the prevalence of caries in boys and girls were observed only in the age group of 1 year (2=13.45, df=1, p<0.001) and 6 years (2=4.539, df=1, p<0.05). In the age groups of 2, 3, 4 and 5 years, there was a similar prevalence of caries among boys and girls, no statistically significant differences were found, despite the fact that quantitative (absolute and relative indicators) indicated a higher prevalence in girls than in boys. Conclusions. The indicator of natural sanitation in children of early and preschool age decreases, the indicator of the need for sanitation of the oral cavity tends to increase with age, with a slight decrease by the age of 2 in girls; the indicator of previously sanitized children is variable in different age periods. The prevalence of caries in infants and preschool children increases as the child grows older and does not tend to decrease. A statistically significant dependence of the prevalence of caries on the age group was revealed. Absolute and relative (%) caries prevalence rates are higher in girls in all age groups and lower in boys. But statistically significant differences in the prevalence of caries in boys and girls were observed only in the age groups: 1 year and 6 years. The prevalence of caries in infants and preschool children increases as the child grows older and does not tend to decrease. A statistically significant dependence of the prevalence of caries on the age group was revealed. Absolute and relative (%) caries prevalence rates are higher in girls in all age groups and lower in boys. But statistically significant differences in the prevalence of caries in boys and girls were observed only in the age groups: 1 year and 6 years.