“Influence of socioeconomic status on caries score among primary school children of Peshawar”.

Abstract

Objectives: Dental caries is among common oral conditions in children and adults. Several studies and preventive measures have been carried out over the world to reduce dental caries rate. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between caries score and socioeconomic status among children. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Primary schools of Hayatabad, Peshawar. Period: months (January to June 2019). Material and Methods: 240 children aged from 3 to 5 years old were recruited in our study from government and private schools of Hayatabad, Peshawar. Socioeconomic status of the children’s parents was deduced by visiting government schools having lower fees and private schools having higher fees in Hayatabad, Peshawar. The frequency of dental caries among children was determined by clinical examination followed by decayed, extracted, filled teeth index. Results: In this study, 120 participants from private schools belonged to the upper class while the other 120 subjects from government schools belonged to the lower class. The mean DEFT value was found to be 30% greater in children of private schools. Conclusion: The study determined that the frequency of DEFT was found more in upper economic status as compared to the lower economic status, which shows association of socio-economic status with oral health condition.