EARLY CHILDHOOD DENTAL CARIES: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY IN CEMOROKANDANG SUBDISTRICT, MALANG

Dental caries is a prevalent oral health issue among young children. The condition of primary teeth regarding caries can be assessed using the decayed, extracted, and filled teeth (def-t) index. This activity aimed to describe the primary tooth caries index based on sex and age group among children from TK Negeri Pembina 5 and TK Al Ikhlas, while also providing oral health education through game-based media. The activity involved 133 children: 55 from TK Negeri Pembina 5 and 78 from TK Al Ikhlas. Data were obtained through def-t index examinations and analyzed descriptively according to sex and age group, as well as through the implementation of dental health education using "UTAGI" learning media. The average def-t index for all participants was 6.60, falling into the "very high" category. The average def-t scores for male participants at TK Negeri Pembina 5 and TK Al Ikhlas were 7.47 and 6.62, respectively (very high), while for female participants, the scores were 5.92 and 5.85, respectively (high). Conclusion: The primary tooth caries index ranged from high to very high; Therefore, there is a need to strengthen promotional and preventive efforts through interactive oral health education starting at an early age. This activity supports SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) by improving oral health and SDG 4 (Quality Education) by providing health education tailored to the characteristics of children.