PREVALENCE OF INTERPROXIMAL CARIES IN PRIMARY MOLARS OF FIVE-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN AND ITS CONSEQUENCES ON OCCLUSION OF PERMANENT DENTITION

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the difference in caries prevalence of number of interproximal surfaces between first and second primary molars based on quadrant dmfs in 5-year-old children. To gain knowledge about these aetiological factors of premature primary molars tooth loss and loss of space in the posterior segment is essential to take clinical decisions for the affected population and to establish a protocol for diagnosing and treating. Study design: Cross-sectional observational study. Place and duration of study: This study was carried out in Department of pedodontics Nishter Institute of dentistry Multan from feb 2019 to auguest 2019. Methods and statistics: For this study 435 children, all living in Multan city of punjab pakistan presented to our hospital were asked to participate. Clinical examinations were performed and only carious lesions on the mesial and distal surfaces with involvement of the dentine were reported. No radiographs were taken. Systematic differences in dmfs between first and second molars in the same quadrant of each primary dentition were tested with the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results: Second primary molars, even after correction for caries had a statistically significant higher total dmfs than the first primary molars. On proximal surfaces, the first primary molars had significant more caries than the second primary molars. The d-component constituted the major part of the caries index. Conclusions: Second primary molars, corrected for decay in the pits and buccal/palatal fissures of this molar, are more affected by caries than first primary molars. Correlation was observed between the variable loss of space and the number of interproximal surfaces on the primary Molar involved. Key words: Interproximal caries, premature tooth loos, loos of space