Early childhood caries experience of children accessing selected immunization facilities in Johannesburg

Abstract

ABSTRACT introduction: Despite notable achievements in the enhancement of the oral health of populations globally, early childhood caries (ECC) remains a common condition, particularly in developing countries. Mother and child oral health programs at immunization facilities were piloted in two Gauteng Districts in 2015 in order to address the burden of disease. Hence there was an opportunity to assess the ECC experience and risk factors contributing to ECC at these sites. Methods: This retrospective study included records of mother and child pairs who attended the Diepsloot and Vanderbijlpark clinics Mother and Child programs in 2015. The ages of the children ranged between six months and six years. Data were collected from the oral health assessments and questionnaires used in the program. results: Differences in the distal and proximal factors at the two sites were identified from the 446 records assessed. Children in Diepsloot had significantly higher levels of mean dmft at 0.43 (1.26) than those in Vanderbiljpark 0.22 (0.70), p=0.01. conclusion: Though the general caries experience in this population was low (13.6%), program planners still need to consider differences in oral health exposures and hygiene practices in order to implement activities that are appropriate to the communities being served.