Srinagar, Jul 16: Children with tooth decay, despite the growing awareness about oral hygiene, are increasing in Kashmir. A study has shown, one in every eight children attending the Dental Specialty Hospital has developmental defects of enamel (DDE).
Their teeth are vulnerable to sensitivity, cavities and cosmetic problems. Regular dental checkups can prevent long term burden of dental issues, the study advocates. The hospital-based study has been published in the peer-reviewed journal Cureus.
Carried out by researchers from Government Dental College and Hospital, Srinagar, it assesses the prevalence and pattern of DDE among children aged 3-12 years. The study has succeeded in providing one of the largest datasets on tooth problems among children in Kashmir.
The researchers examined 10,070 children, an impressive sample size, at the Outpatient Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry.
The study spanned over a seven-month period. Of the 1208 children were found to have developmental enamel defects, had their 3308 teeth affected, giving an overall prevalence of about 12 percent. Developmental defects of enamel are disorders that occur while tooth enamel is forming.
The defects affect either the quantity or quality of enamel, and predispose children to dental sensitivity, tooth decay, rapid wear of teeth and how the teeth look. The paper states that the epidemiological data on the condition among Kashmiri children have so far been limited.
The burden was highest among children aged 6-9 years. A concerning 77.7 percent of children in this age group showed enamel defects. This was followed by children aged 9-12 years with 21.03 percent defects and those aged 3-6 years with 42.12 percent.
The research team included Dr Insha Showkat, Dr Nazia Lone, Dr Sana Farooq, Dr Nadia Irshad, Dr Mohsin Sidiq, and Dr Waseem R Nadaf. The study found that permanent teeth were found to be significantly more affected than primary teeth. Permanent incisors accounted for the largest share of affected teeth (626 teeth, 35.35 percent). This was followed by permanent molars – 754 teeth.
Among the various types of enamel defects, demarcated opacities were the most common. This accounted for 816 affected teeth. Demarcated opacities are well-defined discolorations on tooth enamel that appears as creamy-white, yellow, or brown spots with clear boundaries.
The boundaries are separating them from healthy enamel. Enamel hypoplasia was also found to be affecting 408 teeth. In addition, diffuse opacities were found to affect 324 teeth. Statistical analysis demonstrated significant differences in the occurrence of enamel defects across age groups.
Differences worth noting were also found between primary and permanent dentition. The examination used the modified Developmental Defects of Enamel (DDE) Index. It is an internationally accepted tool for recording enamel abnormalities.
The study concluded that developmental enamel defects predominantly affect permanent incisors and molars in Kashmiri children.
They stressed the need for routine dental screening, early diagnosis, preventive oral health programmes and timely intervention to reduce the burden of dental disease among children here.
