Prevalence and Distribution of Dental Caries on Occlusal Surfaces of Primary Molars among Children 3-5 Years of age in Newark, New Jersey

Abstract

Background: Dental caries is considered one of the most prevalent chronic diseases affecting children globally, and it is an international public health issue that affects 60-90% of schoolchildren. Early detection of dental caries is of extreme importance to allow for implementation of appropriate prevention protocols and the avoidance of early treatment in the pediatric population. Aims of the study: The purpose of the present study was: (1) to describe and determine if the distribution of caries is associated with the type of primary molars and gender, and (2) to compare the prevalence and mean number of caries on in five zones of the occlusal surfaces of primary first and second molars of children 3-5 years old. Materials and methods: One-hundred and forty-three dental records of pre-school children ages 3-5 years old from the head-start program and pre-school in Newark’s School System who had dental screenings performed at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine were included in the study. The occlusal surfaces of all examined primary molars were divided into five zones: (1) mesial, (2) distal, (3) buccal, (4) lingual, and (5) central. Caries detection was performed using the International Caries Detection System (ICDAS II). From the 143 children examined, a total of 5,720 occlusal zones were analyzed. Results: The overall prevalence of dental caries in the preschool children aged 3-5 years old was 80.4 %. The Occlusal Distal Zone (ODZ) showed the highest prevalence of dental caries. It was found that although the mean number of occlusal zones affected by caries for total caries (TC) and caries in enamel only (CE) in primary second molars were higher than the mean caries of primary first molars. Only the Occlusal Distal Zone (ODZ) and the Occlusal Lingual Zone (OLZ) showed statistical differences (P=0.029). For TC, the ODZ and Occlusal Mesial Zone (OMZ) appeared to be the least affected by dental caries in the primary mandibular left first molar, with values of 8% and 3% respectively. Prevalence of EC for the primary first molars was statistically significant only in Occlusal Central Zone (OCZ), where the primary mandibular right first molar exhibited the highest prevalence (8%). For TC, the primary maxillary right second molar demonstrated the lowest prevalence of TC in OMZ, Occlusal Buccal Zone (OBZ), and OLZ, with values of 8%, 4%, and 8% respectively, when compared to other primary second molars. This difference was statistically significant. On the other hand, and for CE, the primary mandibular right second molar displayed the highest prevalence of caries in OMZ, OBZ, and OLZ with values of 16%,16%, and 18% respectively. It was found that males have more caries than females in all three categories, and all showed statistically significant differences. Conclusions: The dental caries is still affecting a high percentage of 3-5 years old children, with a higher prevalence in males when compared to females. According to the results obtained, the occlusal surfaces of primary molars showed that the distal occlusal zone has the highest prevalence of dental caries when compared with other zones of the occlusal surface. Not all primary molars present the same prevalence and distribution of occlusal caries according to the occlusal zones analyzed in this study. In general, the study was unique and gathered important information that should be further analyzed.