The clinical consequences of untreated early childhood caries among preschool children in Ninh Kieu District of Can Tho city
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59294/HIUJS.34.2025.735Keywords:
ECC, dmft index, pufa index, children, nursery schoolAbstract
Background: Early childhood caries (ECC) can significantly impact a child's quality of life if timely intervention and prevention are not provided. Objectives: To assess the status of ECC, the clinical consequences of untreated dental caries, and some associated factors in children aged 24 to 71 months. Materials and method: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 247 children aged 24 to 71 months from five nursery schools in Ninh Kieu district, Can Tho city. ECC was evaluated using the ECC diagnosis and risk assessment protocol launched in 2018, and the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft) index was recorded. The clinical consequences of untreated dental caries were assessed using the pufa index, including pulp involvement (p), ulceration (u), fistula (f), and abscess (a). Results: Among the 247 children participating in the study, 229 children had ECC, and 66 children had untreated dental caries. The prevalence of ECC was higher in females than in males, whereas the prevalence of untreated dental caries did not differ by gender. Additionally, there was a statistically significant disparity in the prevalence of untreated dental caries based on bottle-feeding (p < 0.05) and a positive correlation was observed between the dmft and pufa indices (rs = 0.565, p < 0.001). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the clinical consequences of untreated dental caries were present in 26.7% of preschool children and may affect their quality of life. Therefore, early intervention and preventive strategies should be emphasized.
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