Bulletin of Stomatology and Maxillofacial Surgery
ISSN 1829-006X
2025; 30–40
Shared with The Gufo

PREVALENCE OF DENTAL CARIES IN A GROUP OF EGYPTIAN CHILDREN AND ITS RELATION TO TV AND OTHER SCREENS TIME AND SUGAR CONSUMPTION: (A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY)

Mona Elhadi Elamin Eltayeb*, Sherine Badr

Faculty of Dentistry, Cairo University, Egypt

Received: 2026-04-08 · Published: 2025-11-29

© 2025 The Author(s) and the original publisher.

CC BY-NC 4.0 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Shared article.
Original title
PREVALENCE OF DENTAL CARIES IN A GROUP OF EGYPTIAN CHILDREN AND ITS RELATION TO TV AND OTHER SCREENS TIME AND SUGAR CONSUMPTION: (A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY)
Authors
Mona Elhadi Elamin Eltayeb, Sherine Badr
Source journal
Bulletin of Stomatology and Maxillofacial Surgery
Published
2025-11-29
Licence
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
Original
https://doi.org/10.58240/1829006X-2025.21.11-30

Abstract

Background: The current study aimed to measure the prevalence of dental caries in a group of Egyptian children aged six to eight years old and its relation to screen time, sugar consumption and dental neglect. Methods: The present study was conducted on two hundred ninety seven children aged from six to eight years old, attending the Outpatients' Clinic of Pediatric Dentistry and Dental Public Health Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Cairo University. A thorough assessment chart was recorded by the parents, which included five sections, the first assessed demographic data, the second described the dental neglect scale, the third assessed food consumption, the fourth evaluated screen time behavior, the fifth included intraoral examination which was conducted using the Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth (DMFT) and decayed, extracted, filled teeth (deft) indices. Results: The prevalence of dental caries in our study sample was 100% using the DMFT\deft indices, and was statistically significantly associated with age, parental education, frequency of tooth brushing, type and frequency of snacking, dental neglect scale, and screen time. Around 80% of children used screens more than 2 hours per day. It was found that children with non-working mothers spent more time on screens compared to those with working mothers. A statistically significant relationship was found between screen time, dental neglect, and Age. Conclusion: Increased prevalence of dental caries is associated with high sugar consumption, dental neglect scale, and increased screen time. Minimizing sugar consumption and enhancing nutritional knowledge were considered helpful measures to reduce the risk of dental caries and enhance oral health in children.
1 / ? 100% Open in new tab Download Cite

Loading the full text…

Download Follow Updates