In Vivo Assessment of Plaque Accumulation for Caries Risk in Children

Abstract

Introduction: Most approaches to caries viewed that catastrophic change in normal plaque biofilm is responsible for the disease. The behavior and the composition of the biofilm are a reflection of the oral environment, and the caries is a reflection of the adverse changes occurring in that environment. Thus, it is important to identify the plaque biofilm so as to predict the caries risk. Aim: The present study was aimed to determine and compare the role of plaque toward caries risk during their mixed dentition. Materials and methods: Fifty children of 6-12 years age group of both sexes were examined for plaque status of subjects using "Turesky-Gilmore-Glickman modification of the Quigley Hein plaque index" and caries using deft and decayed missing filled index (DMFT) separately and caries risk assessment tool (CAT). Statistical analysis: The data were collected and tabulated and were analyzed using the SPSS software V.22, IBM., Corp. Descriptive analysis of all study variables was done using the number and the frequency for categorical data whereas in terms of mean and standard deviation for continuous data. Results: The high caries risk group demonstrates significantly a higher mean plaque index (PI) score (p = 0.04) and mean dental caries score (p = 0.03) compared to the low and the moderate caries risk group. Conclusion:The present study sample consists of a higher proportion (44%) of the high caries risk group which necessitates oral health promotion specifically adopting the common risk factor approach.