Distribution Of Dental Caries Among Primary School Children In Al-Mukalla Area - Yemen

Abstract

This cross-sectional study is canied out to identify the distribution of dental caries an1ong 400 primary school children of 12 years age in Al-MukalJa area in Yemen.It was found that 198 (49.5%) out of 400 school children have dental caries; of those affected children 51.5% were males, and 48.5% were females. Dental caries was found to occur more in permanent teeth (76.6%) and distributed mostly in the lower jaw (54%). rt is more distributed in mban areas where the affected seen to represent 53%, whereas in the rural areas it was 38%. In comparisori, the distribution of dental caries (am,ong the affected) in private schools (5TYoj is more than that in governmentcrl schools (47%), and the children living i11 areas receive their water supply from Al-Ghail, Source 1, are affected (53.6%) more than those living in areas supplied from Al-Taweela, Source 2, (42.7%). Finally dental caries causes missing of the teeth in 8% of children.