Abstract: Objective To investigate the caries and caries susceptibility of deciduous teeth among children aged 1-3 years in Chengdu. Methods A convenient sampling method was used to survey children aged 1-3 years who received child health care at five community health service centers in Chengdu from June 2018 to January 2019. The survey contents included questionnaires, oral examinations, and caries risk assessment. Result A total of 989 children aged 1 to 3 years were studied in 5 communities in Chengdu., There were 571 (57.74%) boys and 418(42.26%) girls. The average age was (2.01 ± 0.74) years. The annual household income was mainly 50 000 - 90 000 Yuan, accounting for 59.86%, and the feeding method within 6 months was mainly mixed feeding, accounting for 49.65%. There were 331 children with caries, the prevalence of caries was 33.47%, and the number of decayed, missing or filled tooth (dmft) was (2.19 ± 0.92). The filling rate was 7.01% (93 / 1 326). There were statistically significant differences in caries rate, dmft, dmfs value, and caries filling rate among children at different ages (all P<0.01). The difference in dental caries filling rate among children with different household incomes was statistically significant (P<0.01). The difference in caries rates among children with different feeding patterns within 6 months was statistically significant (P <0.01). The differences in caries rate and dmft among children with different caries risks were statistically significant (all P <0.01). Conclusion The dental caries among children aged 1-3 years in Chengdu was very serious and the treatment rate was low. The caries susceptibility test can provide a scientific basis for clinical assessment of caries risk in young children and play an important role in guiding feeding and standardizing their oral hygiene behavior.

Key words: Children, Deciduous teeth, Dental caries, Oral health