title: Dental plaque, preventive care, and tooth brushing associated with dental caries in primary teeth in schoolchildren ages 6-9 years of Leon, Nicaragua.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Our study aimed to evaluate the effect of various risk indicators for dental caries on primary teeth of Nicaraguan children (from Leon, Nicaragua) ages 6 to 9, using the negative binomial regression model.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was carried out to collect clinical, demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral data from 794 schoolchildren ages 6 to 9 years, randomly selected from 25 schools in the city of León, Nicaragua. Clinical examinations for dental caries (dmft index) were performed by 2 trained and standardized examiners. Socio-demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral data were self-reported using questionnaires. Multivariate negative binomial regression (NBR) analysis was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age was 7.49 ± 1.12 years. Boys accounted for 50.1% of the sample. Mean dmft was 3.54 ± 3.13 and caries prevalence (dmft >0) was 77.6%. In the NBR multivariate model (p<0.05), for each year of age, the expected mean dmft decreased by 7.5%. Brushing teeth at least once a day and having received preventive dental care in the last year before data collection were associated with declines in the expected mean dmft by 19.5% and 69.6%, respectively. Presence of dental plaque increased the expected mean dmft by 395.5%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The proportion of students with caries in this sample was high. We found associations between dental caries in the primary dentition and dental plaque, brushing teeth at least once a day, and having received preventive dental care. To improve oral health, school programs and/or age-appropriate interventions need to be developed based on the specific profile of caries experience and the associated risk indicators.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Dentistry, National Autonomous University of Nicaragua, León, Nicaragua.
authors.forename: Miriam del Socorro
authors.initials: Mdel S
authors.lastname: Herrera
authors.forename: Carlo Eduardo
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Medina-Solís
authors.forename: Mirna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Minaya-Sánchez
authors.forename: América Patricia
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Pontigo-Loyola
authors.forename: Juan José
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Villalobos-Rodelo
authors.forename: Horacio
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Islas-Granillo
authors.forename: Rubén
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de la Rosa-Santillana
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maupomé
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009527:Nicaragua / Q000453:epidemiology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000473:pathology*; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*