Prevalence and risk factors of dental decays in 3-7 years old children referred to pediatric clinics of Islamic Azad University

Background: Dental caries is one of the most common infectious diseases and is high in developing countries such as Iran. Children who develop dental caries in young age are at higher risk of further decay in old ages. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of dental caries in 3-7 years old children. Methods: This was a cross-sectional analytic study performed on 200 children aged 3-7 year old and referred to pediatric clinics. Detection of dental caries was accomplished by optic tactile methods using sound and mirror and further evaluation of the objective variables through a questionnaire. Data were evaluated by SPSS version 13 and univariate analysis. Findings: According to the data found in our study, the prevalence of dental caries was 63.5% and of dmf 2.32 ± 2.56. There was a positive correlation between the prevalence of dental caries and age of children, night feeding after 1 year old, frequency of sweet feeding during the day, mother age, mother education, and socioeconomic status. Conclusion: Dental caries is not only a general health problem but also a social problem as it is associated with family income and education. Targeted programs regarding the childhood nutrition, family education and family support over the dental care are important in prevention of dental diseases.