Exploring the Link between Sociodemographics, Oral Hygiene, Body Mass Index, and Dental Caries in Children Aged 6–13 Years: A Cross-sectional Study

Both conditions are multifactorial and have risk factors related to diet and lifestyle. 5Poor dietary habits not only increase the risk of tooth decay but can also lead to plaque buildup, poor oral hygiene, and high sugar levels in the body.Children with tooth decay can suffer from pain to premature tooth loss.This can lead to inadequate food intake, which can result in stunted growth.Conversely, increased carbohydrate consumption can lead to weight gain and IntroductIonCaries, as a noncommunicable disease that occurs with multifactorial risk factors, is still a world problem, especially in children. 1 In addition to local factors, that is, bacteria, host, substrate, and saliva, caries is also related to social and environmental factors.Several studies have produced information that age, gender, parents' education, toothbrushing behavior, and body mass index (BMI) are directly or indirectly related to the occurrence of caries in children. 1 According to a systematic review, over half of children, with nearly 1.5 million participants, had caries in their permanent teeth. 2 Another systematic review found that a total of 5.6 million children were identified as overweight or obese, with prevalence rates of 14.8 and 22.2%, respectively. 3The Indonesian Health Survey 2023 revealed that the number of children in Indonesia was 30.2 million.Children aged 6-9 years had a mean decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMF-T) of 0.9 (95% CI: 0.8-1.0),while those aged 10-14 years had a mean score of 1.5 (95% CI: 1.4-1.7).Children aged 5-9 years had a caries prevalence of 84.8%, while those aged 10-14 had a prevalence of 63.8%.The BMI in children aged 5-12 years was severely underweight at 3.5%, underweight at 7.5%, normal at 69.4%, overweight at 11.9%, and obese at 7.8%. 4 Caries and obesity are conditions that affect the growth and development of children and can become a burden for a country.