Objective  To investigate the prevalence of dental caries and to analyze the association of parental education with caries prevalence among school-age children for providing references for developing targeted preventive measures.

  Methods  We carried out a questionnaire survey and dental caries examination among 1 260 pupils aged 6 – 12 years (grade 1 – 6) selected with stratified cluster random sampling in 5 primary schools in Xihu district of Hangzhou city, Zhejiang province from March 2014 to June 2016. Logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between parental education and caries prevalence.

  Results  The total prevalence rate of caries rate in the children was 61.75% (778/1 260); the prevalence rate of the deciduous and permanent teeth caries were 48.10% (606/1 260) and 13.65% (172/1 260). The rate of deciduous teeth caries was significantly higher in the boys than that in the girls, but the prevalence rate of permanent teeth caries was significantly lower in the boys than that in girls (both P < 0.05). In comparison with the urban children, the rural children had significantly higher prevalence rate of deciduous and permanent teeth caries (57.17% vs. 17.83% and 41.20% vs. 10.47%, both P < 0.05). There were significant differences in the age of starting to brush teeth, snacking before bedtime, gargling after snacking, number of brushing teeth per day, parental supervision on their teeth brushing, use of fluoride toothpaste, having dental examination, and the frequency of dental examination among the children with various parental education (all P < 0.05). Among all the children, the total prevalence rate of caries differed significantly by their maternal and paternal education (67.08% and 78.29% for those with the maternal and paternal education of senior high school and below, 59.89% and 58.80% for the education of undergraduate and junior college, and 56.03% and 44.26% for the education of master and above, respectively) (P < 0.05 for all). There was a significant urban-rural difference in the total prevalence rate of caries among the children with various paternal education (urban vs. rural: 35.78% vs. 42.51%, 29.33% vs. 29.47%, and 18.03% vs. 26.23% for the children with the paternal education of senior high school and below, undergraduate and junior college, and master and above) (P < 0.05); but among the children with various maternal education, the urban-rural difference in the rate was not significant (P > 0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed a significant inverse correlation between the parental education level and caries prevalence in the children (P < 0.05).

  Conclusion  The prevalence of caries is high and is inversely correlated with parental education among 6 – 12 years old school children in Hangzhou city of Zhejiang province.