Data from: Dental status of New Caledonian children: is there a need for a new oral health promotion programme?

Background: Before implementing a new oral health promotion program in the French overseas territory of Nouvelle Calédonie, the health authorities needed recent data about dental status of the New Caledonian child population. Objectives: This study aimed to describe the dental status of 6, 9 and 12-yr-old New Caledonian children and to investigate the environmental and behavioural risk factors related to oral health. Methods: A randomly selected sample of 2734 children (744 6-yr-olds, 789 9-yr-olds, and 1201 12-yr-olds) was examined clinically by seven calibrated investigators and participants responded to a questionnaire. The main variables were objective criteria about dental status and subjective criteria about experience of dental care, dental fear, self-perception of oral health, cultural or ethnic identity and environmental and behavioural risk factors. Results: Overall, most of the children had infectious oral diseases: more than 50% had gingivitis, and 60% of 6- and 9 yr-olds had at least one deciduous or permanent tooth with untreated caries. The mean 12-yr-old number of decayed missing and filled teeth (DMFT) was 2.09±2.82. The number of carious lesions was related to the unfavourable lifestyle, deprived social status and no preventive dental care. Kanak, Polynesians and Caledonians (respectively 27%, 18% and 45% of the study sample) were more affected by caries than metropolitan French and Asian children. Children with many untreated carious lesions had negative perceptions of their oral health; they complained of chewing difficulty and had higher scores for dental anxiety. Conclusion: This study highlights the need for new strategies aimed at improving oral health and at reducing inequalities in New Caledonia. An oral health promotion program would need to be developed in connection with other health programmes using the common risk factor approach within the context of the local environment.

研究背景：在法国海外领地新喀里多尼亚（Nouvelle Calédonie）推行新型口腔健康促进项目前，当地卫生主管部门亟需获取新喀里多尼亚儿童群体的口腔健康现状最新数据。
研究目的：本研究旨在描述新喀里多尼亚6岁、9岁及12岁儿童的口腔健康现状，并探究与口腔健康相关的环境与行为风险因素。
研究方法：本研究由7名经过标准化校准的口腔临床医师，对随机抽取的2734名儿童（其中6岁组744人、9岁组789人、12岁组1201人）开展口腔临床检查，并要求受试者完成调查问卷。本次研究的核心变量涵盖口腔健康状况相关的客观指标，以及牙科诊疗经历、牙科恐惧、口腔健康自我认知、文化/族群认同与环境、行为风险因素相关的主观指标。
研究结果：整体而言，多数儿童存在感染性口腔疾病：超过50%的儿童罹患牙龈炎，且6岁与9岁儿童中各有60%至少存在1颗未治疗的乳牙或恒牙龋损。12岁儿童的平均龋失补牙数（DMFT，decayed missing and filled teeth）为2.09±2.82。龋损数量与不良生活方式、社会经济处境不利以及未接受预防性牙科护理显著相关。卡纳克人、波利尼西亚人与本土喀里多尼亚人（分别占研究样本的27%、18%与45%）的龋病患病率高于法国本土儿童与亚裔儿童。存在大量未治疗龋损的儿童对自身口腔健康的评价偏负面，他们常抱怨咀嚼困难，且牙科焦虑评分更高。
研究结论：本研究凸显出新喀里多尼亚亟需制定全新策略，以改善口腔健康状况并缩小口腔健康不平等差距。当地应结合本地环境背景，采用共同风险因素途径，将口腔健康促进项目与其他卫生项目联动开展。