An investigation of early childhood caries in the lower socio-economic areas surrounding Tygerberg Oral Health Centre in order to plan a community appropriate intervention strategy

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The long waiting lists for general anaesthesia and sedation services for children with Early Childhood Caries (ECC) at the Tygerberg Oral Health Centre highlighted the problem of ECC in this area. This was confirmed by a retrospective study of patient records at the Centre.ECC is largely caused by a combination of lifestyle factors, especially feeding and oral hygiene practices. Socio-economic status and parental factors such as education and employment have also been shown to play a role in the development of ECC.In order to address this problem, a study was designed to determine the prevalence of ECC in children from the lower socio-economic communities which drain to the Tygerberg Oral Health Centre and assess the knowledge of the caregivers of these children. A total of 659 children were examined at crèches and schools as well as community health clinics. The children examined at the clinics accompanied others and did not have any health reason for the visit themselves.As the aetiology is largely behaviour-driven and children are dependent on their caregivers to meet their basic needs, 366 caregivers attending the community health clinics with their children, were interviewed to determine their practices and knowledge of oral health. A total of 83 health care workers at these clinics were also interviewed to assess their knowledge of oral health matters and determine the role that they can play in the prevention of this disease.A cross-sectional community survey was carried out by means of clinical assessments and structured interviews with the aid of questionnaires. The survey was divided into 3 parts:1. Prevalence of ECC amongst the children2. Knowledge of the caregivers about oral health care3. Knowledge of health care workers at the clinics in these communities about ECCThe prevalence study revealed that 71.6% of children in the study population presented with caries. This is extremely high and highlights the need for serious interventions. Parents/ caregivers were shown to be ill-informed regarding their children's oral health care needs which include dietary and oral hygiene practices as well as how this disease can be prevented. It is clear that caregivers need to be educated regarding feeding practices, weaning time, dietary content and the importance of basic oral health. The importance of preserving the primary dentition and regular dental attendance also needs to be emphasized in this community where dental health does not seem to be a priority.Health care workers such as nurses who come into contact with children from an early age would be the ideal vehicle to impart this information. However, as revealed from the results of this study, there is a serious lack of knowledge amongst these professionals regarding oral health matters. Time and resources therefore have to be invested to improve their knowledge and lessen their load so that more emphasis can be placed on prevention. Small changes can make a big difference towards addressing the burden of this disease on the health care system.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University