An interdisciplinary approach to a survey on dental caries in a group of 3-year-olds in Ascoli Piceno (Italy)

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ABSTRACT

Aim

The purpose of this study was to investigate the dental caries experience in a group of 3-year-old children,
through an interdisciplinary protocol, both paediatric and paedodontic, in the district of Ascoli Piceno (Marche, Italy).

Methods

A sample of 82 children, 38 males and 44 females, was recruited by four paediatricians during a
preliminary study phase, which consisted of the epidemiological survey explanation to the involved children's parents and
informed consents collection; the survey was first planned and then performed by one calibrated examiner, (Cohen k test
was 0.85) in two days on May 2008. The examinations were performed in the nurseries of the schools attended by the
children. The collected data were analysed by descriptive and association statistics: the chi square test was used to
investigate the association between caries and gender, assuming as statistical significance level the p < 0.05 value.

Results

The study revealed that caries prevalence in the observed population was 38, while caries free group
accounted for 61; the mean dmft was 1.06, with a standard deviation of 1.64. No statistical significance was observed
in the association between caries and gender (chi square0.65, p>0.05). discussion: Dental caries prevalence of
the surveyed population, according to the WHO 2010 objectives, was judged quite high, focusing the low caries free group
(61 instead of 90 or over) and the children's preschool age; nonetheless the sample situation was not
considered as critical, because the WHO 2000 goals were achieved (caries free > 50).

Conclusion

The
interdisciplinary paedodontic paediatric protocol, used in the present study, was a useful and powerful instrument for
preparing the epidemiological survey and could be the basis of future preventive programs.

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