Abstract

Today, tooth decay is considered as one of the most common infectious diseases in developing countries such as Iran and considering this concept is among the World Health Organization programs in the field of prevention of chronic diseases and promoting health. The mean of primary tooth decay in children under 6 years is equal to 5 in Iran; however, the present study suggests this is 7, indicating an undesirable situation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the oral health status in terms of decayed missing filled teeth (DMFT) for 3-6 year-old children at health care centers of Ilam. In this cross-sectional study, 100 (female and male) children aged 3-6 years referring to urban health care centers were selected for the study. These children's background information was collected using a questionnaire. The DMFT index was used to determine the primary teeth health status. Data obtained was analyzed using independent t-test, Spearman correlation test, and chi-square test. The mean and standard deviation of the DMFT index for all children was 4.13±7.32. The results obtained by independent t-test showed no significant difference between both genders. Chi-square test was used to examine the DMFT index in both female and male children. Regarding the primary teeth for female and male genders, the highest and the lowest DMFT frequencies were associated with decayed teeth (94) and filled teeth (4), respectively. Ten percent of boys and 2 of girls have DMFT=0(caries free: CF); and 12 percent of boys and 22 percent of girls also have DMFT≥10 (Rampant caries), respectively. The DMFT index for the study participants was not approximately close to DMFT index reported by the World Health Organization. Hence, it seems that the promoting the knowledge of oral health care providers to inform parents of young children is of paramount importance. © RJPT All right reserved.