Severity and Magnitude of Caries among Rural Populations in Ferlo in Senegal

Abstract

Oral diseases belong to non-communicable diseases. They are characterized by their importance especially in disadvantaged areas. The objective of this study was to measure the extent and severity of caries among rural populations of Widou, an area located in central Ferlo. It was a descriptive and cross-sectional study which involved 300 individuals selected using simple random sampling. The socio-demographic characteristics collected were sex, age, educational level and occupation. The dental status was rated by the prevalence of dental caries and DMF and its components. The data were analyzed with the software Epi info 3.4.5 with 5% of threshold statistical significance. The prevalence of dental caries was 89%. The mean DMF was 5.4 ± 5.6 with a maximum of 26. The mean of component "D" was 3.8 with a maximum of 24. Variables significantly associated with dental caries were sex (p = 0.012) and occupation (p = 0.03). The extent and severity of caries in rural areas of the Ferlo evoke a relatively low support or management and require efforts in prevention, directed on oral hygiene and dietary habits.