HYGIENE, EATING HABITS AND ORAL HEALTH AMONG CHILDREN IN THREE NEPALESE PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS

Abstract: Currently, many developing countries are experiencing rising prevalences of caries associated with changes in lifestyle and living conditions. Objectives: To describe the hygiene, eating habits, and oral health status of Nepalese children. Materials and Methods: A stratifiedsample of 231 children 5–7, 11–13, and 15–16 years of age (53% boys, 47% girls) who attended public high schools in the rural area of the Lalitpur District, Nepal was selected. The study was a field study combining a clinical examination (plaque, gingivitis, calculus, and caries) and a questionnaire. The questions concerned sanitary conditions, health support, personal hygiene, tooth cleaning, and eating habits. Results: During the school day, half of the children ate nothing at all. General personal hygiene was associated with tooth-cleaning frequency.Four out of five children in the entire sample cleaned their teeth once/day or more, using their own toothbrush. The use of fluoride toothpaste was rare.More frequent tooth cleaning and lower plaque indices were seen among girls and older children. More plaque was found on the occlusal surfaces of erupting permanent molars than on fully occluded permanent molars. Most children had a low prevalence of manifest caries in the primary and the permanent dentitions. However, every fifth 5–7-yr-old had manifest caries in three or more primary teeth. The occlusal surfaces of molars accounted for almost all registered caries in both dentitions. Conclusion: Although the prevalence of manifest caries was low, the low level of preventive activities may cause an increase in the prevalence of caries, as in other developing countries. The presumed risk scenario needs to be met by comprehensive and systematic health promotion and preventive measures.