Caries Experience in Preschoolers in Three Ecuadorian Communities.

Dental caries in the preschool population presents a significant challenge in the field of global public health, including Ecuador. Early detection of this disease is crucial for developing effective strategies for prevention and promotion of oral health, which can have a substantial impact on the quality of life of preschool-aged children. This study evaluated 600 children aged 3 to 5 years attending preschool education centers using the ICDAS II diagnostic criteria. The Student's t-test was used to analyze differences between the means of two independent groups. Additionally, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to assess differences between the means of three or more groups. The prevalence of caries was 87%, with a dft index of 3.85 in the three provinces studied. A high treatment need was observed in 84.17% of the population. No significant differences in the DFT index were found based on gender, although both groups exhibited elevated values. No significant differences were observed in relation to province and environment. The second molar was the most affected tooth, with a caries prevalence of 58.8%. Despite the lack of significant differences among the evaluated variables, a high prevalence and experience of dental caries were found in the studied population.

Caries Experience and Treatment Needs in Urban and Rural Environments in School-Age Children from Three Provinces of Ecuador: A Cross-Sectional Study.

In Ecuador, national epidemiological surveys have not been updated; however, some regional studies in the northern areas of the country still report a high prevalence of dental caries. The aim of this study was to determine the experience, severity, and need for treatment of dental caries in school children aged 6 to 12 years in urban and rural settings in three provinces of southern Ecuador. This cross-sectional, relational study examined 1938 schoolchildren in the provinces of Azuay, Cañar, and Morona Santiago. The survey instruments were based mainly on the WHO manual Methods of Oral Health Surveys (dmft) for primary and permanent dentition (DMFT), as well as the prevalence, severity, and Significant Caries Index (SCI). The parametric Student's t-test was used to compare two groups, and the Spearman's Rho and Tau-c Kendall correlation coefficients were used to associate the categorical variables. Results: The prevalence of caries in the primary dentition was 78% and 89.2% in the permanent dentition. The dmft (M = 4.12, SD = 2.86) and DMFT (M = 3.62: SD = 3.07) placed the general group in a moderate caries index. The need for treatment was 90.68% in the primary dentition, while it was 87.99% in the permanent dentition. Caries severity in both dentitions was high (M = 7.74; SD = 3.42). Conclusions. Alarming indicators of caries experience and the need for treatment were observed in the population studied.

Impacto de la caries dental en escolares de 12 años Yanuncay, Cuenca, Ecuador / Impact of dental caries in Yanuncay 12 year old school children Yanuncay, Cuenca, Ecuador

Objetivos: El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar el impacto de la caries dental en los desempeños diarios en escolares de 12 años de la parroquia Yanuncay, Cuenca ­ Ecuador, 2016. Materiales y Métodos: Fue un estudio descriptivo, de corte transversal donde la muestra estudiada fueron 132 escolares de ambos sexos; el investigador fue calibrado, y posteriormente asistió a las unidades educativas de la parroquia y aplicó la ficha epidemiológica, la cual constó del Índice CPOD y Self Report de caries dental. Resultados: Los resultados obtenidos determinaron que la prevalencia de caries dental fue baja representada por el 18,2 %, siendo el impacto en los desempeños diarios de un 36,4 %; los desempeños más afectados fueron el comer, seguido del lavarse los dientes con un 24,0 % y 21,5 % respectivamente y la severidad del impacto tuvo su mayor porcentaje en el nivel leve con el 40,3 %. Conclusiones: En conclusión, la autopercepción de los impactos en los desempeños diarios fue mayor con relación a la prevalencia de caries dental. (AU)

Objectives: To determine the impact of dental caries on daily performance in 12 - year - old schoolchildren from the Yanuncay parish, Cuenca - Ecuador, 2016. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive cross - sectional study where the sample studied Were 132 schoolchildren of both sexes; the researcher was calibrated, and later attended the educational units of the parish and applied the epidemiological record, which consisted of the CPOD Index and Self Report of dental caries. Results: The results obtained determined that the prevalence of dental caries was low represented by 18.2%, with the impact on daily performance of 36.4%; The most affected performances were eating, followed by brushing teeth with 24.0% and 21.5% respectively and the severity of the impact had its highest percentage in the mild level with 40.3%. Conclusions: In conclusion, the self-perception of impacts on daily performance was greater in relation to the prevalence of dental caries. (AU)

Calidad de vida relacionada a la salud bucal en escolares del ámbito costa - sierra de Ecuador / Oral health quality of life in school children of the coast ­ sierra area from Ecuador

Objetivo: Comparar el impacto de las condiciones orales sobre la calidad de vida en los escolares del ámbito Costa- Sierra de la provincia de Cañar Ecuador, a través del cuestionario Child Oral Impacts Daily Performance. Materiales y Métodos: Estudio transversal, descriptivo, observacional, se evaluó a 166 escolares que cumplieron con criterios de selección. Los datos fueron recolectados a través de una entrevista personalizada que duró de 8 a 10 minutos por escolar. Se usó una versión en español validada en Perú del Child-OIDP Index para determinar el impacto de 17 condiciones bucales en 8 desempeños o actividades diarias. Resultados: Se determinó que: El 98.2% de escolares refirieron uno ó más desempeños impactado, entre los más afectados fueron comer, sonreír y socializar según el sexo, mientras que en la sierra el desempeño más afectado fue sonreír, y en la costa fue socializar (68.0% y 56.8%) respectivamente. Conclusión: no existió diferencia estadísticamente significativa de acuerdo a lugar de procedencia y sexo en escolares del Cantón Cañar. (AU)

Aim: To compare the impact of oral conditions on quality of life among schoolchildren from the Costa versus Sierra area of the province of Cañar Ecuador, using the Child Oral Impacts Daily Performance questionnaire. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive, observational study was performed on 166 students who match selection criteria. The data were collected through a personalized interview that lasted 8 to 10 minutes per child. A Spanish version validated in Peru of the Child-OIDP Index was used to determine the impact of 17 oral conditions on 8 daily activities or performances. Results: 98.2% of schoolchildren reported one or more impacted performances, among the most affected were to eat, smile and socialize according to sex, while in the sierra the most affected performance was to smile, and on the coast was to socialize (68.0% and 56.8%) respectively. Conclusion: There was no statistically significant difference according to place of origin and sex in schoolchildren in Cantón Cañar. (AU)