An interdisciplinary approach to a survey on dental caries in a group of 3-year-olds in Ascoli Piceno(Italy)

ABSTRACT Aim The purpose of this study was to investigate the dental caries experience in a group of 3-year-old children, through an interdisciplinary protocol, both paediatric and paedodontic, in the district of Ascoli Piceno (Marche, Italy). Materials and methods A sample of 82 children, 38 males and 44 females, was recruited by four paediatricians during a preliminary study phase, which consisted of the epidemiological survey explanation to the involved children’s parents and informed consents collection; the survey was first planned and then performed by one calibrated examiner, (Cohen k test was 0.85) in two days on May 2008. The examinations were performed in the nurseries of the schools attended by the children. The collected data were analysed by descriptive and association statistics: the χ2 test was used to investigate the association between caries and gender, assuming as statistical significance level the p < 0.05 value. Results The study revealed that caries prevalence in the observed population was 38%, while caries free group accounted for 61%; the mean dmft was 1.06, with a standard deviation of 1.64. No statistical significance was observed in the association between caries and gender (χ2=0.65, p>0.05). Discussion Dental caries prevalence of the surveyed population, according to the WHO 2010 objectives, was judged quite high, focusing the low caries free group (61% instead of 90% or over) and the children’s preschool age; nonetheless the sample situation was not considered as critical, because the WHO 2000 goals were achieved (caries free > 50%). Conclusion The interdisciplinary paedodontic – paediatric protocol, used in the present study, was a useful and powerful instrument for preparing the epidemiological survey and could be the basis of future preventive programs.