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Article Type

Article

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the impact of sweet taste perception (sweet taste threshold and preference) on dental caries experience in relation to age and gender among a sample of schoolchildren. The research follows a cross-sectional observational design and includes 181 schoolchildren of both genders aged between 6 and 12 years from the Al-Risafa district of Baghdad city. The participants were divided into two age groups (6-8 and 9-12). Dental caries were assessed using the decayed, missing, and filled indices for primary and permanent teeth (dmfs, dmft, DMFS, and DMFT). Additionally, the sweet taste threshold and sweet taste preference were measured for 60 participants whose parents provided their consent for these procedures. The study revealed a significant positive correlation between dental caries experience and sweet taste threshold among children aged 6-8 years. For permanent teeth, dental caries experience showed a significant correlation with sweet taste threshold specifically among females. Furthermore, sweet taste preference was significantly correlated with the decayed surface component of the DMFT index, regardless of age and gender. The findings suggest that sweet taste perception is significantly associated with dental caries experience in school-aged children.

Keywords

Sweet Taste Threshold; Sweet Taste Preference; Dental Caries; Schoolchildren; Iraq

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