Survey of dental caries in Filipino-Canadian preschool children

Province-wide screenings in British Columbia (BC), Canada indicate a decrease in caries-free kindergarten-aged children from 66% (1996) to 59% (2001). Immigrant influx may contribute to this decline. Filipinos are BC's 3^rd largest immigrant group; dentists anecdotally report high rates of dental decay among young Filipino immigrant children (FIC). Objectives:  (1) to document caries status and treatment needs and (2) to explore association of demographic characteristics and caries status in FIC. Methods: Research design: cross-sectional survey. Subjects: convenience sample of FIC aged ≤71 months recruited at community centers, churches and shopping malls. Methods: (1) dental exam assessing caries status, and (2) questionnaire for demographic information. Caries diagnosis based on ICDAS. Statistics: Kruskall-Wallis and Mann-Whitney-U-tests to determine association between demographic data and caries status. Results: 110 children (55 boys, 55 girls) from 94 families were recruited in 6 months:  26% were born in the Philippines; 68% had caries; 90% had unmet treatment needs; 39% needed urgent care and 50% had never been to the dentist. Dental data is summarized in table below: