Association of Dental Caries with Odontogenic Infections and Nutritional Status in an Orphanage of Raichur District: A Cross-sectional Study

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the association of nutritional status and dental caries in children at an orphanage in Raichur city, Karnataka. Materials and Methods: A specially designed structured questionnaire was administered to a total of 101 children of the orphanage to gather demographic details, dietary habits, sugar exposure, and oral hygiene practices. The sweet score was recorded as given by Nizel and Papas, body mass index (BMI) was assessed using the Centers for Disease Control 2000, growth charts, dental caries, and odontogenic infections were recorded using decayed missing filled teeth in deciduous dentition (dmft)/Decayed Missing Filled Teeth in permanent dentition (DMFT) and pufa/PUFA (Pulpal involvement, Ulceration, Fistula, and Abscess) index (Monse et al., 2010), respectively. Results: A total of 101 participants were enrolled in the study including children aged 6-15 years old with a mean age of 10.67 +/- 2.74 years. A statistically significant relation was found between the duration of stay in an orphanage and the prevalence of dental caries (P < 0.05). A statistically significant positive correlation was found between the duration of stay in the orphanage and BMI (0.382) dmft/DMFT (0.203). In addition, a statistically significant positive correlation was also observed between dmft/DMFT and pufa/PUFA. Conclusion: The study showed caries to be primarily associated with the sugar exposure and dietary habits, whereas untreated dental decay was the main cause of odontogenic infections. The untreated caries PUFA ratio was 13.98% with only one filled component, indicating the unmet needs for decayed teeth and lack of awareness and access to preventive and curative dental care facilities by the children of the orphanage.