A Study on Dental Caries and Dental Health Behavior Between Kindergarten Children and non-Kindergarten Children in Taiwan

• Main Authors: Ching-Hsiang Wang, 王清香
• Other Authors: 黃純德
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2006
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/47116211945161857760

碩士 === 高雄醫學大學 === 口腔衛生科學研究所碩士在職專班 === 94 === Abstract Background In 1997, the Department of Health,s (DOH) data showed the ratio of Taiwan preschool children’s (aged 3-6) dental caries increases with age. Dietary habits and tooth-brushing was found to be the main reason that causes the dental caries of children. Many research studies have been done on kindergarten children’s dental health status. But there was insufficient of research on the non-kindergarten children’s dental health status. Our research focussed on the dental caries and dental health behavior of preschool children who enter kindergartens or enter non-kindergartens. Study objective： A research on the correlation of dental caries, dietary habits, and tooth-brushing habits between preschool children who enter kindergartens and those who do not enter kindergartens. Method: Data were collected from children aged 3-5 years old in Taiwan . A questionnaire was designed in two parts (for children who enter kindergartens and not enter kindergartens) to investigate the oral hygiene of the main caregivers. The sampling methods involved stratified multi-stage cluster sampling and probability proportional to size, PPS design. Two sampling units, children who enter kindergartens and do not enter kindergartens, were in the sampling plan. The research tools included a questionnaire to investigate the children’s oral hygiene and oral hygiene habits. The contents of the questionnaire included children’s basic information, care before 3 years old, current dietary habits, oral hygiene habits, main minders’ basic information and current oral hygiene habits Results: Data shows that in 3,044 children, there were 2,373 children going to kindergartens or nurseries (77.96％), and 671 children staying at home (22.04％). Deft index increases with age, and especially at aged 3-4 it increases the most in proportion. Children’s dental caries has a positive correlation with the habit of eating sweet food regardless of whether they go to kindergartens or nurseries or not. However, children’s dental caries has a negative correlation with parents’ educational level, those who help children clean their teeth, start tooth-brushing age, children’s tooth-brushing times, tooth-brushing after children eat sweet food, main minders’ tooth-brushing times, and tooth-brushing after main minders eat sweet food. Children’s age and start tooth-brushing age are the common most important factors of deft index for children going to kindergartens or nurseries or those staying at home. Conclusion and suggestions: As the statistical data show, dental caries of children going to kindergartens or nurseries is more serious than that of children staying at home, but not statistically significant. Although most domestic kindergartens have oral hygiene activities, the dental caries of children who go to kindergartens or nurseries is higher than children who stay at home. It is probably because the teachers must take care of more children at the same time and the oral hygiene education isn’t driven efficiently in kindergartens. Mothers who work as volunteers in schools should be suggested to receive basic training of oral hygiene and help teachers to execute the oral hygiene plan. Keywords: caries experience index、caries prevalence、kindergarten