Dental Caries and Associated Determinants among Students of the Military School of Saint Louis (Senegal)

Introduction: Due to its health, social and economic morbidity, dental caries leads to absenteeism and a drop in school performance among schoolchildren. The objective of this work is to study dental caries and its determinants in pupils known as Children of Troop (CT) of the “Military School of Saint Louis” (MSS). Method: This was a descriptive and cross-sectional study. Recruitment was exhaustive. The collection was made at the school and has covered the period of March 10 throughout June 13, 2014 in an individual interview, based upon a deliberate consent, using a questionnaire drawn up on the basis of the variables studied. The bivariate analysis was done with the Epi Info software version 3.5.3. Results: The mean age of CT was 14.9. The prevalence of caries was 61.2%. Determinants related to caries were: sugar intake between meals (OR = 6.44 [3.4 - 11.9]); insufficient tooth brushing (OR = 14.3 [8.8 - 23.29]); (OR = 3.84 [2.38 - 7.14]) and for regular dental visits (OR = 5.26 [3.44 - 8.33]), with the last dental visit dating back more than one year. Conclusion: In the face of challenges of school performance of CT, it is necessary to set up a control plan focusing mainly on the factors identified and associated with dental caries in military school.