Prevalence of dental caries and associated teeth brushing behavior among Iraqi adolescents in Al- Door district

A. Abdullah, Huda

	Prevalence of dental caries and associated teeth brushing behavior among Iraqi adolescents in Al- Door district
Medical Journal of Tikrit
Article 1, Volume 2, Issue 152, 2016, Pages 102-109
Author
Huda A. Abdullah
Abstract
Dental caries is a highly prevalent chronic sugar-dependent infectious disease, affecting calcified tissue of the tooth and causing demineralization of the inorganic portion with subsequent destruction of the organic substance. The aim is to evaluate the prevalence and severity of dental caries among adolescents in association with teeth brushing habit. The study comprised 568 pupils of secondary schools, of both genders and aged between 13 and 17 years. Dental check-up was conducted by a single dentist using spot light, dental mirror and dental probe. Caries prevalence was analyzed using the DMFT index. DMFT index calculated according to WHO criteria for diagnosis and recording of dental caries. Data was analyzed using the Chi- square test and analysis of variance. A dental caries prevalence of 78.2% was recorded in the study population; females (84.6%) and males (71.6%). Mean DMFT for all population was 3.7. Older adolescent had higher DMFT (p>0.01) than the younger ones. The prevalence of dental caries was high and not related to teeth brushing habits. These findings indicated that an increase of dental caries prevalence resulted from the inconsistency of knowledge concerning dental disease prevention and oral hygiene behavior. As a conclusion; increasing the prevalence of dental caries in Al-Door district highlights the need for a dental health program to target the specific segment of population
Keywords
Prevalence of dental caries and associated teeth brushing behavior among Iraqi adolescents in Al; Door district

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