Table 3.
Caries experience (dmft) and oral health-related behaviours studied
| Oral health-related behaviours (%, N) | Primary teeth dmft (SD) | Permanent teeth dmft (SD) |
|---|---|---|
| Tooth brushing twice or more daily (N = 1323) | ||
| Yes (31.2 %, 413) | 2.35 (2.93)* | 0.41 (0.46) |
| No (68.8 %, 910) | 2.91 (3.04)* | 0.51 (0.60) |
| Age of initial brushing (N = 1170) | ||
| ≤ 3 (18.2 %, 213) | 2.59 (2.90** | 0.41 (0.75) |
| > 3 (81.8 %, 957) | 3.10 (3.19)** | 0.46 (0.87) |
| Sweet snacks before sleep without tooth brushing (N = 1323) | ||
| Often/Occasionally (46.4 %,614) | 2.96 (3.06)*** | 0.48 (0.86) |
| Never (53.6 %, 709) | 2.54 (2.97)*** | 0.40 (0.81) |
| Daily sweet snacks (N = 1323) | ||
| Yes (18.8 %, 249) | 2.78 (2.96) | 0.75 (1.04)**** |
| No (81.2 %, 1074) | 2.72 (3.03) | 0.44 (0.77)**** |
*, **, ***Significant difference (P < 0.05)
****Significant difference (P < 0.001)