Caries of First Permanent Molars and Association With Dietary and Oral Habits Among a Group of Egyptian Children
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- This is an observational study: the protocol does not assign a study treatment.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Dental Caries. Basic parameters: 6 years — 7 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
Caries Status of First Permanent Molars and Their Association With Dietary and Oral Hygiene Habits Among a Group of Egyptian Children Aged 6-7 Years : A Cross Sectional Study.
Overview
This cross-sectional study aims to assess the prevalence of dental caries in the first permanent molars of Egyptian children aged 6 to 7 years, and to examine how this caries status relates to the children's dietary habits and oral hygiene practices. A total of 272 children will undergo a clinical oral examination, and their parents or guardians will complete a structured questionnaire covering diet, tooth-brushing habits, and socio-demographic background. The findings are intended to help identify risk factors associated with early caries in these key teeth, supporting better-targeted preventive dental care for this age group.
Detailed description
First permanent molars are the earliest-erupting permanent teeth and, because they emerge without replacing a primary tooth, they are particularly susceptible to plaque accumulation and early carious lesions. As they account for a large proportion of dental caries in school-aged children, their eruption period represents a critical window for preventive interventions such as pit-and-fissure sealants.
Dental caries remains one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in childhood worldwide, with a multifactorial etiology involving diet, sugar consumption, salivary factors, fluoride exposure, and oral hygiene behavior. In Egypt, population-level data on the caries status of first permanent molars specifically - as opposed to caries in the dentition generally - remain limited.
This study will use a cross-sectional observational design conducted in the Paediatric Dentistry Department at October University for Modern Sciences and Arts (Giza, Egypt). Children aged 6-7 years who meet the eligibility criteria (healthy, no history of radiotherapy/chemotherapy, no retained primary teeth or developmental anomalies affecting the permanent dentition, no orthodontic treatment, and provision of parental informed consent) will be enrolled.
Each participating child will receive an intraoral clinical examination using a mirror and CPI probe, following WHO Oral Health Survey (2013) criteria, to assess caries status of the first permanent molars using the DMFT index and to record eruption pattern. Parents/guardians will complete a pre-tested, structured questionnaire (translated into Arabic) capturing dietary habits, tooth-brushing frequency, flossing, sweets intake, dental check-up frequency, fluoride toothpaste use, and socio-demographic variables (child's sex, number of children in the family, parental education).
Based on a previously reported FPM caries prevalence of 5.5%, a sample size of 272 children was calculated (97% confidence interval, 3% margin of error, with finite population correction, using Epi Info v7.2.5.0)
Primary outcome measures
- DMFT [Time frame: baseline]
Secondary outcome measures (3)
- DMFS [Time frame: baseline]
- Oral hygiene habits [Time frame: baseline]
- Dietary habits [Time frame: baseline]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Age: 6 to 7 years old children
- Children with written informed consent from their parents or guardians were included
- Healthy child
Exclusion criteria
- Previous history/current radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy.
- Presence of retained primary teeth or congenital or developmental anomalies affecting the permanent dentition.
- Missing teeth due to causes other than dental caries.
- Subjects undergoing orthodontic therapy, which might preclude normal tooth brushing.
- Subjects who, in the opinion of the Investigator, may be non-compliant with study procedures.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: Yes
Study design
- Observational model
- Other
Study locations
Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07725757 · MSA Noor