title: Caries prevalence and caries risk in a sample of Lebanese preschool children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study describes early childhood caries prevalence and caries risk in a group of Lebanese preschoolers.
  
  
  METHODS
  99 healthy children, aged four years or less, were recruited at the Dental medicine faculty, Saint-Joseph university, Beirut, Lebanon. After parental consent, questionnaires investigated children's dietary and oral hygiene habits and parents' education and health behaviors. Oral examinations, with bite-wing radiographs when necessary, determined decayed-filled surfaces and plaque scores. Salivary testing assessed buffer capacity and streptococcus mutans (Sm) and lactobacillus (Lb) presence. The three tests (questionnaire, oral examination, salivary testing) established a caries risk assessment tool, determining subjects' caries risk scores, classified as low (C0), moderate (C1), high (C2) or very high (C3).
  
  
  RESULTS
  25.3% of subjects were caries-free, 24.2% had 4 carious lesions or less, 28.3%, 5 to 9 lesions and 22.2% over 10 lesions. 11.1% of plaque scores were low to mild, 18.2% moderate, 46.4% high, and 24.3% very high. Salivary buffer capacity was: 29.3% high, 57.6% medium and 13.1% low. High levels of Sm, (66.7%) correlated with plaque presence and proximal caries. High levels of Lb (52.5%) correlated with plaque presence and smooth-surface caries, and correlated significantly with occlusal caries. Regular tooth brushing yielded lower plaque, but not significantly lower caries levels. Systemic fluorides were associated with lower plaque and caries scores. Children of educated parents with regular dental visits and oral hygiene had lower plaque and caries scores. Caries risk distribution was: CO: 16.2%, C1: 29.3%, C2: 15.1% and C3: 39.4%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most subjects had at least one carious lesion (74.7%), and 70.7% showed high to very high plaque scores. Over half the sample presented high or very high caries risk. These findings deserve further investigation of the Lebanese preschoolers' population.
authors: Dpt Pediatric Community Dentistry, Dental Medicine Faculty, Saint-Joseph Univ., Beirut, Lebanon.
authors: N R
authors: NR
authors: Chedid
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Bourgeois
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Kaloustian
authors: N Z
authors: NZ
authors: Baba
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Pilipili
mesh_terms: D002021:Buffers; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005459:Fluorides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007861:Lebanon / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology; D012923:Social Class; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D002021:Buffers; D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D005459:Fluorides