The Prevalence of Dental Caries Among Children Aged 6-11: A Cross-Sectional Study from Mureș County, Romania.

Background/Objectives: The prevalence of dental caries in Romania is significantly high, especially among children and adolescents. We aimed to assess the prevalence of dental caries and their associated factors among schoolchildren aged 6-11 years learning at urban and rural schools from Mureş County, Romania. Methods: This cross-sectional study included a sample of 1124 children, aged 6-8 years (n = 524), as well as aged 9-11 years (n = 600). Nine schools in Mureş County, Romania, were selected for screening, based on their location (4 schools from urban areas and 5 schools from rural areas). Data were collected based on children's visual dental screenings and a self-administered questionnaire addressed to their parents to collect information about oral health behaviors, sugar consumption, and dental care history. Dental clinical examination was performed by specialists, and DMFT/dmft values were recorded. Binary logistic and negative binomial regression analyses were used to assess the factors associated with dental caries. Results: Among 6-8-year-olds, the prevalence of untreated decay was 76.5% and the prevalence of caries experience was 77.7% (mean dmft = 3.9). Among 9-11-year-olds, the prevalence of untreated decay was 43.5% and the prevalence of caries experience was 48.2% (mean DMFT = 1.9). Among the most significant factors associated with caries prevalence were school location (p = 0.04 for children aged 6-8 years, and p < 0.001 for 9-11 years); the employment status of mothers (p = 0.04 for 9-11 years); eating sweets ≥4 times/day (p = 0.04 for 6-8 years); brushing time ≥3 min (p = 0.03 for 9-11 years); as well as past dental restorative treatments or emergency (p < 0.001 for all the children examined). Conclusions: Preventive measures and innovative educational interventions are needed to mitigate the impact of dental caries prevalence on the health and education of schoolchildren.