Decision Tree Approach to the Impact of Parents’ Oral Health on Dental Caries Experience in Children: A Cross-Sectional Study

Shinechimeg Dima, Kung-Jeng Wang, Kun-Huang Chen, Yung-Kai Huang, Wei-Jen Chang, Sheng-Yang Lee and Nai-Chia Teng
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Shinechimeg Dima: School of Dentistry, College of Oral Medicine, Taipei Medical University, 250Wu-Hsing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan
Kung-Jeng Wang: Department of Industrial Management, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, No. 43, Section 4, Jilong Road, Da’an District, Taipei 10607, Taiwan
Kun-Huang Chen: Big Data Research Center, Asia University, Lioufeng Rd. 500,Wufeng, Taichung 41354, Taiwan
Yung-Kai Huang: School of Oral Hygiene, College of Oral Medicine, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu-Hsing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan
Wei-Jen Chang: School of Dentistry, College of Oral Medicine, Taipei Medical University, 250Wu-Hsing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan
Sheng-Yang Lee: School of Dentistry, College of Oral Medicine, Taipei Medical University, 250Wu-Hsing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan
Nai-Chia Teng: School of Dentistry, College of Oral Medicine, Taipei Medical University, 250Wu-Hsing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 4, 1-12

Abstract: Decision tree (DT) analysis was applied in this cross-sectional study to investigate caries experience in children by using clinical and microbiological data obtained from parent–child pairs. Thirty pairs of parents and children were recruited from periodontal and pediatric dental clinics. All participants were clinically examined for caries and periodontitis by a calibrated examiner. Cariogenic and periodontopathic bacteria examinations were conducted. The Kendall rank correlation coefficient was used to measure the association between data variables obtained through clinical and microbiological examinations. A classificatory inductive decision tree was generated using the C4.5 algorithm with the top-down approach. The C4.5 DT analysis was applied to classify major influential factors for children dental caries experience. The DT identified parents’ periodontal health classification, decayed, missing, filled permanent teeth (DMFT) index, periodontopathic test (PerioCheck) result, and periodontal pocket depth as the classification factors for children caries experience. 13.3% of children were identified with a low decayed, missing, filled primary teeth (dmft) index (dmft < 3) whose parents had a periodontal pocket depth ≤3.7, PerioCheck score >1, DMFT index <13.5, and periodontal classification >2. The DT model for this study sample had an accuracy of 93.33%. Here, parental periodontal status and parents’ DMFT were the factors forming the DT for children’s caries experience.

Keywords: early childhood caries; periodontitis; decision tree classification (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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