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Corresponding Author

Zana A. H.Ameen

Document Type

Research Article

Abstract

Background and objectives: Dental caries are defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the destruction of the tooth's enamel caused by acids produced after bacteria fermentation the sweetie foods. Due to the steady maturation of teenage bodies and minds, puberty is a critical period of growth and change. The purpose of the study is to determine the incidence of dental caries and so its risk factors among high school students in Erbil. Methods: A cross-sectional study was done in Ten high schools from various parts of Erbil city that were randomly selected. Students from each school were enrolled using a randomized clustered sampling technique. Results: The study population was composed of 650 students, whose ages ranged from 14 to 20 years, with a mean and ±SD of 16.71±1.5 years; 298 (45.8%) of them were males and 352 (54.2%) were females. with a male-to-female ratio of 1:1.8. The study found that 72.31% of the study sample has dental caries, while 27.69% were free from caries. The caries was more among males 228 (76.5%) than females 242 (58.8%) with a statistically significant difference (P 0.028). Conclusions: The study concluded that in Erbil City, a large percentage of high school students have dental cavities. The associated risk factors for caries development were high in the male gender, low parental education, low family income, low teeth brushing, not using dental floss, and absence of interdental cleaning.

Keywords

dental caries, student, Erbil

Publication Date

9-1-2023

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