Assessment of the Relationship Between Nutritional Status and Dental Caries in Under-Five Children in Sokoto State

Malnutrition and dental caries co-occur in impoverished Nigerian communities, and studying their relationship in young children in Sokoto State contributes to evidence for nutrition-sensitive oral health interventions. This study assessed the relationship between nutritional status and dental caries prevalence among children aged 2 to 5 years attending nutrition clinics at two government hospitals in Sokoto North and Wamakko Local Government Areas, Sokoto State. A cross-sectional clinical study was conducted among 240 children. Nutritional status was determined using weight-for-height, height-for-age, and weight-for-age z-scores following WHO standards. Dental caries was assessed by a calibrated dentist using the dmft index for primary teeth. Dietary history and breastfeeding records were collected from mothers. Results showed that 54.6 percent of children had dental caries, with a mean dmft of 2.87. Stunted children showed significantly higher caries prevalence (65.2 percent) compared to normal-height children (45.3 percent, p < 0.01). Underweight children had higher mean dmft scores than normal-weight children. Prolonged nocturnal breastfeeding beyond 18 months was significantly associated with anterior maxillary caries. Vitamin D deficiency history was associated with enamel hypoplasia in 21.4 percent. Recommendations include integrating dental assessment into routine malnutrition treatment protocols, providing oral health counselling during therapeutic feeding programme enrolment, and addressing shared nutritional determinants through community health worker education in Sokoto State. Keywords: nutritional status, dental caries, under-five children, Sokoto State, dmft