Behavior of dental caries in 8 to 13 years-old obese and normal-weight students

Abstract

Dental caries and obesity are highly prevalent diseases in children population, mainly as a result of a diet with high sugar content. Taking into account this problem, we carried out an observational, analytic, transversal investigation in 8-13 years-old students in the primary school Renato Guitart and in the high school Jesus Fernandez Rodriguez, in Santa Marta, municipality of Varadero, during the period from November 2008 to February 2009. The universe was formed by 693 children and the sample by 649. Children were grouped in normal weight and obese after a physical examination, where weight and height were recorded; a buccal examination was also carried out, to determine the previous experience of caries and the presence of carious teeth. It was established that the number of normal weight children (62,7 %) was bigger than the number of the obese ones (37,3 %). There were stated significant statistic differences between healthy children and those with previous caries experience, both in normal weight children and in obese ones. In relation with carious teeth, the higher values were found in obese children, with 24 % compared with normal weight children, 6,9 %, and there were found statistically significant differences among groups.