Abstract

Background: Early childhood caries is defined as the presence of one or more carious lesions, tooth loss or decay on any primary tooth in a child ≤ 71 months of age. This study aims to investigate the state of primary dental caries and its relationship with some factors in 2 - 4 year old kindergarten children in Ngu Hanh Son district, Da Nang city in 2022. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 423 children aged 2 - 4 years old in 2 kindergartens, in Ngu Hanh Son district, Da Nang city, during March-April 2022. The state of caries was assessed according to the dmf index, distributed by age, gender and related factors. Results: There were 75.9% with dmf index was 6.15 ± 5.80, which increased with age, no difference between two genders and most common in the maxillary middle incisors and the mandibular molars. Risk factors are associated with rates of caries, while protective factors did not significantly affect the rate of caries. Conclusion: The state of primary dental caries in Ngu Hanh Son district, Da Nang city is still high. Protective factors did not significantly affect the rate of caries. Therefore, it is necessary to consider implementing early and more appropriate preventive measures for childhood caries.