Prevalence of dental caries in children aged 1 to 5 years living in Moscow

INTRODUCTION . Dental health is an integral part of the overall health of children. Dental morbidity in children remains one of the pressing health problems. A feature of dental morbidity in children at the present stage is the high prevalence of dental caries and its complications. Dental caries is a multifactorial disease and is recorded in patients of any age. The prevalence of early childhood caries in children aged 6 months to 6 years is an important social problem for health care worldwide. The study of dental morbidity in children is dictated by the need to obtain information on their prevalence in all age groups. AIM . To study the prevalence of dental caries in children of early and preschool age (from 1 year to 5 years) based on data from preventive medical examinations of minors. MATERIALS AND METHODS . An epidemiological survey of the child population was conducted as part of preventive medical examinations of minors aged 1 to 5 years, clinical research methods were used, and all results obtained were processed statistically. RESULTS . Analysis of the prevalence of early childhood caries showed that this indicator increases as children grow older. Using the Pearson χ2 criterion for contingency tables, a statistically significant relationship was found between the prevalence of caries and the age group (χ2 = 34.1, df = 4, p < 0.0001). Absolute indicators of the prevalence of dental caries are higher in girls in all age groups and lower in boys. Statistically significant differences in the prevalence of caries in boys and girls were observed only in the age group of 1 year (χ2 = 31.45, df = 1, p < 0.0001) and 5 years (χ2 = 4.61, df = 1, p < 0.032). In the age groups of 2, 3, 4 years, statistically significant differences in the prevalence of dental caries among boys and girls were not found. CONCLUSIONS . The prevalence rate of dental caries in children aged 1 to 5 years increases as the child grows older and does not tend to decrease. The absolute prevalence rate of dental caries is higher in girls in all age groups and lower in boys. Statistically significant differences in the prevalence of dental caries in boys and girls were observed in the age groups of 1 year and 5 years, this indicator is higher in girls than in boys. In the age groups of 2, 3, 4 years, statistically significant differences in the prevalence of dental caries among boys and girls were not found.