A Cross-Sectional Study on the Oral Health of the Infants and Toddlers at the National Guard, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: The high prevalence of dental caries among preschool children had been reported in literature. However, studies on dental caries and related problems among infants and toddlers in Saudi Arabia are lacking. Aim: This study assessed the oral health status of the infants and toddlers in the Iskan Primary Health Care (PHC) Center for the National Guard in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Settings and Design: The assessment included 151 children between the ages of 5 to 36 months during 2015 to 2016. Materials and Methods: The caregivers were provided with a structured questionnaire. Oral examinations on the children were based on the WHO’s assessment form and criteria. Statistical Analysis: Frequency, mean, standard deviation, and regression analysis were used for the risk assessment of the caries. Results: Dental caries was reported in 9% of the children in the Center, and 95.5% of them were categorized as severe early childhood caries (S-ECC). More than half of the children were bottle-fed. About 70% of the caregivers never cleaned their children’s mouth. The caries among the children was highly associated with bottle-feeding during their sleep. Conclusions: Nocturnal bottle-feeding, failure to clean the children’s mouths, and the use of cleaning materials other than toothpaste were identified as the risk factors that promoted the development of caries among the children. With these findings, we recommend that the mothers and the medical professionals should be trained on necessary oral health practices. Early preventive dental health services within the National Guard health services should be initiated.