PP185 Oral Health Status And Food Consumption Patterns In Selected Primary School Children

Abstract

Introduction

Nutrition is critical to the oral health of the individual. From gestation through to end of life, nutrition influences the integrity and function of the dentition and supporting oral structures and has a direct effect on health in general. According to the World Health Organization, diet has an important role in the prevention of oral diseases such as dental caries, dental erosion, defects in oral development, diseases of the oral mucosa, and periodontal disease.

Methods

A study was conducted to assess the oral health status and food consumption patterns of students attending the Rotary School and College at Mirpur-14, Dhaka on November 2018. Consent was provided by the school headmaster and guardians. A purposive sample of seventy students was taken. A semi-structured questionnaire and checklist was developed in the English and Bengali languages. Data were presented in simple frequency tables.

Results

Among the respondents the following eating habits were reported:

1. (i) Thirty-one percent drank milk and twenty-eight percent consumed chocolate four to six times per week;

2. (ii) Forty-three percent consumed fast food least seven times per week; and

3. (iii) Forty-two percent ate vegetables and thirty-four percent ate fruits one to three times per week.

In terms of oral hygiene practices, sixty-one percent of respondents used toothpaste and thirty-nine percent used tooth powder. Seventy-eight percent of respondents brushed their teeth once a day and twenty-four percent brushed twice daily. The mean number of decayed, missing (due to caries), and filled permanent teeth was 1.47.

Conclusions

The relationship between oral health, dietary practices, nutritional status, and general health is complex, with many interrelated factors. To help children develop healthy eating patterns from an early age, it is important that the food and eating patterns to which they are exposed, both inside and outside the home, promote positive attitudes to good nutrition.