Assessment of the Consequences of Dental Caries on the Body Mass Index in Children using the Pufa Index
Published: March 1, 2018 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2018/30890.11282
Nikita Vinod Dandekar, J Jasmin Winnier, Uma B Dixit
1. Postgraduate Student, Department of Paediatric and Preventive Dentistry, DY Patil School of Dentistry, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
2. Associate Professor, Department of Paediatric and Preventive Dentistry, DY Patil School of Dentistry, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
3. Professor and Head, Department of Paediatric and Preventive Dentistry, DY Patil School of Dentistry, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
Correspondence
Dr. J Jasmin Winnier,
Associate Professor, Department of Paediatric and Preventive Dentistry, DY Patil University-School of Dentistry, Nerul,
Navi Mumbai-400706 Maharashtra, India.
E-mail: drjaswinnie@yahoo.com
Introduction: Dental caries continues to exert a significant influence on children’s overall health and the effect of untreated dental caries impacts dental health more than the presence of caries itself.
Aim: To investigate the effect of consequences of untreated dental caries on Body Mass Index (BMI) in children using PUFA/pufa index (pulp involvement, ulceration, fistula, and abscess).
Materials and Methods: A total of 400 school children aged 5-12 years were divided into two groups-5 to 8 years (Group 1) and 9 to 12 years (Group 2). Selected children were examined for the presence or absence of pulpal involvement, ulceration, fistula and abscess using the PUFA/pufa index, and further subdivided into with PUFA/pufa> 0 and PUFA/pufa =0. Children’s BMI score was calculated using weight in kg and height in meters. BMI scores for children with PUFA/pufa=0 and PUFA/pufa>0 were compared with independent t-test. Correlation between BMI scores and PUFA/pufa score was analysed by using Pearson’s correlation coefficient for both age groups.
Results: Mean BMI score of children with PUFA/pufa>0 in both the age groups (14.69 and 14.93) was significantly lesser than the BMI score of children with PUFA/pufa=0 (21.69 and 22.57), (p<0.001). Correlation between BMI and PUFA/pufa score was highly significant in the Group 1 (r=-0.345) whereas, that in the Group 2 was significant (r=-0.234).
Conclusion: Children with the consequences of longstanding dental caries had significantly negative effect on BMI. This negative effect was higher in younger children as compared to the older age group.
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