earticle

영어

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate dental caries status in primary teeth among preschool children aged 3~6 years using the SmarTooth, and to evaluate the practical applicability of the SmarTooth examination device by comparing the results with the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Methods: Data for the SmarTooth were collected from March to July of 2024 in Seoul, involving 4,050 children aged 3~6 years. The KNHANES used raw data from 2019 and included 289 children aged 3~6 years. The number of decayed primary teeth was calculated by excluding permanent and missing primary teeth. Results: The prevalence of dental caries was 30.7% as measured by the SmarTooth device and 15.9% by the KNHANES device (p<0.001). The mean numbers of decayed primary teeth were 0.76±1.60 and 0.45±1.28, respectively, and this difference was statistically significant (p<0.001). For the SmarTooth device, the number of decayed primary teeth increased by approximately 0.25 for each additional year of age (p<0.001), and the prevalence of dental caries increased significantly by 1.46-fold (95% CI, 1.36~1.56; p<0.001). Conclusion: The SmarTooth device appears to be more sensitive than KNHANES device in detecting decayed primary teeth and determining the caries prevalence according to age. Therefore, the SmarTooth oral examination device is considered a suitable and effective device for the early detection of dental caries and oral health management.