Caries prediction model in pre-school children in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Objectives. To evaluate the significance of variables such as oral hygiene, dietary habits, socio‐economic status and medical history of a child in assessing the level of caries risk and to generate a caries prediction model for pre‐school Saudi children. Design. Cross‐sectional study of pre‐school children. Setting. Clinics and schools in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Sample and methods. A sample of 446 Saudi pre‐school children, 199 males and 247 females, with a mean age of 4·13 years, were selected at random from clinics and schools. Selection was limited to subjects who either had no caries (dmft= 0) or who had high caries experience (dmft > 8). Each child was examined for caries experience and oral hygiene status. Their mothers were interviewed through a standardized questionnaire for information about oral hygiene habits of the children, diet history, childhood illness and socio‐economic status. Results. There was a highly significant difference between the two groups in: debris index (P