Oral health status and behaviours of children in rural districts of Cambodia

Objective: To describe the caries and periodontal status of children in rural Cambodia and to study their oral health habits. Method: Field examinations were conducted in Pailin, Kampong Thom and Kratie which are three rural districts in Cambodia. Children aged 6 and aged 12 were selected for report of caries status of primary and permanent teeth respectively. The periodontal status of the 12-year-old children in Kampong Thom and Kratie were assessed. A parental questionnaire survey was performed to study the children's tooth brushing habits, snacks habits and their diet. Results: A total of 120 6-year-old children and 196 12-year-old children were examined. The caries experience (dmft) of the 6-year-old children was 7.9 +/- 5.6. The caries experience (DMFT) of the 12-year-old children was 1.1 +/- 1.6 and all were untreated caries (DT). None of the surveyed 12-year-old children had healthy gums and 62% had calculus. A total of 316 questionnaires-were collected. The result found 44% and 22% of the 6- and 12-year-old children had never brushed. Their meals were all mainly rice, soup and congee and snacks were not common. Conclusion: The caries experience of the 6-year-old children was high and most of the caries was untreated. The 12-year-old children had a mean score of 1.1 DMFT in their permanent teeth. They all had bleeding gums and more than half had calculus. Their oral health habits need to improve as many children never brushed their teeth.