PREVALENCE AND ASSOCIATED RISK FACTORS OF DENTAL CARIES AMONG SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN (6–13 YEARS) IN PARACHINAR, PAKISTAN: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Dental caries is one of the most common non-communicable diseases of children globally, especially in low- and middle-income countries. This research sought to establish the prevalence of dental caries and associated behavioural and environmental risk factors among school children (6-13 years) in Parachinar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. This cross-sectional descriptive study involved 280 students conveniently sampled from two private schools. A questionnaire was used to gather information on oral health knowledge, dietary and oral health service usage, and clinical examination using dental tools. The findings showed that dental caries was high (71.8%). Most children had poor knowledge of oral hygiene (56.1%) and 65.0% did not use fluoridated toothpaste. Only 2.9% reported regular visits to the dentist and sugar snack consumption was high, with 23.2% eating them every day. Also, the majority of affected children were untreated. In conclusion, unhealthy oral hygiene knowledge and practices, frequent consumption of sugary snacks, and lack of preventive dental services play a major role in dental caries