Dental Caries Experience of Children in a Northern Aboriginal Community

Abstract

Objective: To conduct a chart audit of children attending a new school-based dental clinic to determine what effect the new program model has on access to dental care.

Methods: Sampling frame consisted of approximately 1200 children living in this community. All children aged 5 to 17 inclusive were considered potential study participants. Charts were selected based on quasi-random sampling at the mall clinic, and every chart was selected at the school clinic. DMFT, sex, age, clinic location, and reason for visit were determined for each child.

Results: The chart audit reviewed 547 charts (322 school clinic, 225 mall clinic). The caries-experience overall was high with a mean deft+DMFT of 7.62 (SD 4.57), and only 4.9% of the population caries-free. The reason for visit was most frequently for check-up (63%) and emergency (24%). The mean age of children at the mall clinic was significantly (P<0.01) higher (10.94±3.49yrs) than that of children at the school clinic (9.18± 2.69yrs). Older children attending the mall clinic had higher deft+DMFT than those attending the school clinic (7.58±4.68 and 5.41±3.81) while younger children attending the school clinic had higher deft+DMFT than did those attending the mall clinic (9.59±4.80 and 7.95±4.75). These differences were statistically significant (P<0.05).

Conclusions: This study confirms the caries experience in these children is very high when compared to other Canadian children. This study points out that new model of care with an active approach to obtaining consent and initiating dental care affects the patient pool by extending access to children who previously did not benefit. These findings support the belief that school-based programs improve access to care when compared to models where we wait for families to volunteer for care.