Dental caries experience among Albanian pre-school children: a national survey

Abstract

To determine the dental caries experience and treatment needs among 5-year-olds in Albania.

This cross sectional study was conducted in 2015 by using a cluster sampling technique. The dmft was used to assess dental caries experience and caries prevalence as percentages of children with dmf⟩0. Caries treatment needs were assessed with dt/dmft x 100, missing teeth with mt/dmft x 100 and ft /dmft x 100 as the Care Index.

2,039 five-year-olds, from 17 districts of Albania were selected . Children's residency was divided into 3 main regions (South, West, Central and North).

WHO 2013 diagnostic criteria were used and dental caries was recorded at cavity level d3.

The mean age was 5.4 (SD 0.5) years. The caries prevalence (dmf⟩0) was 84.1%. The prevalence of children without cavitated lesions (d=0) was 20.1%. The mean dmft index was 4.41 (SD 3.83). The caries treatment needs were 84% (SD 26%).

The Albanian 5-year-olds assessed in this survey had a high dental caries experience and untreated cavities in the primary dentition. The national health authorities should introduce preventive programs and improved dental care access for this age group.

Keywords

5-year-old children dmft dmf index caries prevalence treatments need Albania national survey

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Alm

Wendt

L.K.

Koch

Birkhed

(2007) Preva-lence of approximal caries in posterior teeth in 15-year-old Swedish teenagers in relation to their caries experience at 3 years of age. Caries Research 41, 392-398.

Bratthall

(2000): Introducing the Significant Caries Index together with a proposal for a new global oral health goal for the 12-year-olds. International Dental Journal 50, 378-385. Caglar. E. and Kuscu, O.O. (2016): Effect of diet and sugars on

caries: Dietary counselling, xylitol and probiotics. In: Evidence Based Caries Prevention, ed. Eden la E. Springer. In press.

Filstrup

S.L.

Briskie

Fonseca

, M., Lawrence, L., Wandera, A. and Inglehart, M.R. (2003): Early childhood caries and quality of life: child and parent perspectives. Pediatric Dentistry 25, 431-440.

Hescot

Roland

Guegen

(2007): La santé dentaire en France 2006. Le CAO des enfants de 6 ans et 12 ans. Monographie S.N.P.M.D. Paris.

Holst

Braune

Kjellberg

(2004): Changes in caries experience among 6-year-olds in Blekinge, Sweden between 1994 and 2000. Swedish Dental Journal 28, 129-135.

Institute of Statistics of Albania, INSTAT (2014): Database of live births by gender 1990-2014. http://www.instat.gov.al/al/themes/popullsia.aspx?tab=tabs-5.

Jigjid

Ueno

Shinada

Kawaguchi

(2009): Early childhood caries and related risk factors in Mongolian children. Community Dental Health 26, 121–128.

Laganà

Fabi

Abazi

Kerçi

Jokici

Nastasi

E.B

Vinjolli

Cozza

(2012): Caries prevalence in a 7- to 15-year-old Albanian schoolchildren population. Annali di Stomatologia 3, 38-43.

10.

Mantonanaki

Koletsi-Kounari

Mamai-Homata

Papaioannou

(2013): Prevalence of dental caries in 5-year-old Greek children and the use of dental services: evaluation of socioeconomic, behavioural factors and living conditions. International Dental Journal 63, 72-79.

11.

Mejare

Stenlund

Julihn

Larsson

Permert

(2001): Influence of approximal caries in primary molars on caries rate for the mesial surface of the first permanent molar in Swedish children from 6 to 12 years of age. Caries Research 35, 178-185.

12.

Moynihan

(2012): The role of diet in the prevention of dental diseases. In: Comprehensive Preventive Dentistry, ed. Limeback, H. pp99. Oxford: Wiley & Sons Ltd.

13.

Pitts

N.B.

Boyles

Nugent

Z.J.

Thomas

Pine

C.M.

(2005): The dental caries experience of 5-year-old children in England and Wales (2003/4) and in Scotland (2002/3). Community Dental Health 22, 46-56.

14.

Santamaria

R.M.

Basner

Schüler

Splieth

C.H.

(2015): Inequalities in dental caries experience among 6-year-old German children after the caries decline. Acta Odontologica Scandinavica 73, 285-291.

15.

Sheiham

(2006): Dental caries affects body weight, growth and quality of life in pre-school children. British Dental Journal 201, 625-626.

16.

Stecksén-Blicks

Sunnegårdh

Borssén

(2004): Caries experience and background factors in 4-year-old children: time trends 1967-2002. Caries Research 38, 149-155.

17.

Wagner

Greiner

Heinrich-Weltzien

(2014): Eva-luation of an oral health promotion program at the time of birth on dental caries in 5-year-old children in Vorarlberg, Austria. Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology 42, 160-169.

18.

World Health Organisation, WHO (2002): Global data on dental caries prevalence (DMFT) in children aged 12 years. Global Oral Data Bank. Geneva: WHO.

19.

World Health Organization WHO (2013): Oral Health Surveys: Basic Methods 5th ed. Geneva: WHO.

20.

Wyne

A.H.

(2008): Caries prevalence, severity, and pattern in preschool children. Journal of Contemporary Dental Practice 9, 24-31.

21.

Yee

Sheiham

(2002): The burden of restorative dental treatment for children in Third World Countries. International Dental Journal 52, 7-10.