Objective: to estimate the prevalence and associations of dental caries in the primary dentition of young children in Ajman, UAE.

Methods: Random sampling was used to select children aged 5 or 6 years old who were enrolled in public or private schools. Clinical examinations for caries were conducted by a single examiner using WHO criteria. Parents completed questionnaires seeking information on socioeconomic background, oral hygiene and dietary practices, fluoride use, and dental service utilization. Logistic regression modelling was used to identify risk markers and risk indicators for caries prevalence.

Results: The total number of children sampled was 1297, of whom dental examination and questionnaire data were obtained for 1036 (79.9%), of whom 50.0% were female. The prevalence of dental caries in 5- and 6-year-old children was 72.5% and 79.7% respectively (P<0.01), with respective mean dmfs scores of 9.2 (sd, 12.6) and 11.4 (sd, 13.3) respectively (P<0.01). Multivariate analysis indicated that age, sex, income, nationality, mother's education, dietary habits, oral hygiene and dental utilization were significantly associated with caries experience.

Conclusion: Dental caries prevalence and severity in young children in Ajman are relatively high, and socioeconomic factors, dietary habits, oral hygiene, and dental utilization are important determinants of that dental caries experience. There is an urgent need for oral health programs targeted at the treatment and underlying causes of dental caries of those children.

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