DOI: 10.36347/sjds.2019.v06i04.004

Pages: 223-233

Dental caries is a localized, chronic, progressive disease, causing demineralization of the hard tissues of tooth surfaces and also known as tooth decay. The prevalence of DC is high in developing countries compared with developed countries. The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of dental caries among the children in age between 6 to 12 years old, and to identify the relationship between dental caries and socio-demographical factors. A cross sectional study was conducted on 392 children in Tripoli/ Libya in the age group of 6–12 years. The prevalence of dental caries was assessed by decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT)/dmft index. The data were analyzed by using SPSS software, version 24. Chi square test was applied to elaborate the significance of the association/differences between study variables. The overall dental caries prevalence was 74.7%. The overall average of dental caries in permanent dentition among children using the (DMFT index) = 0.882± 1.68. There was statistically significant difference between boys and girls (P= 0.02). Higher prevalence of DMFT score was observed among children ages of 12, while the lowest prevalence was observed among children ages between 6 to 7 (P= 0.000). Dental caries amongst 6 to 12 year-old children in Tripoli/Libya is a common public health problem. Therefore, comprehensive oral health educational programs for both children and their parents are needed in order to reduce dental caries among children.