Factors Associated with Dental Caries Experience in 1-year-old Children

Overview

Journal J Public Health Dent

Specialties Dentistry
Public Health

Date 2008 Jan 29

PMID 18221314

Citations 13

Authors

John J Warren

Karin Weber-Gasparoni

Teresa A Marshall

David R Drake

Farideh Dehkordi-Vakil

Justine L Kolker

Deborah V Dawson

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: Dental caries in early childhood is an important public health problem. Previous studies have examined risk factors, but they have focused on children during the later stages of the disease process. The purpose of this study was to assess the factors associated with caries in children aged 6 to 24 months as part of a cross-sectional analysis.

Methods: Two hundred twelve mothers with children 6 to 24 months of age were recruited from Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children clinic sites in southeastern Iowa for participation in a longitudinal study of dental caries. Baseline assessments included detailed questions regarding the children's beverage consumption, oral hygiene, and family socioeconomic status. Dental caries examinations using the d(1)d(2-3)f criteria and semiquantitative assessments of salivary mutans streptococci (MS) levels of mother and child were also conducted. Counts of the number of teeth with visible plaque were recorded for maxillary and mandibular molars and incisors.

Results: Of the 212 child/mother pairs, 187 children had teeth. Among these children, the mean age was 14 months, and 23 of the children exhibited either d(1), d(2-3), or filled lesions. Presence of caries was significantly associated with older age, presence of MS in children, family income <$25,000 per year, and proportion of teeth with visible plaque.

Conclusions: Results suggest that not only microbial measures, including MS and plaque levels, are closely associated with caries in very young children, but that other age-related factors may also be associated with caries. Continued study is necessary to more fully assess the risk factors for caries prevalence and incidence in preschool children.

Citing Articles

Risk factors associated with early childhood caries among Wenzhou preschool children in China: a prospective, observational cohort study.

Mei L, Shi H, Wei Z, Li Q, Wang X BMJ Open. 2021; 11(9):e046816.

PMID: 34518250 PMC: 8438756. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-046816.

Disparities in untreated caries among children and adults in the U.S., 2011-2014.

Gupta N, Vujicic M, Yarbrough C, Harrison B BMC Oral Health. 2018; 18(1):30.

PMID: 29510696 PMC: 5840689. DOI: 10.1186/s12903-018-0493-7.

Prevalence and associated Risk Factors of Severe Early Childhood Caries in 12- to 36-month-old Children of Sirmaur District, Himachal Pradesh, India.

G Mangla R, Kapur R, Dhindsa A, Madan M Int J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2017; 10(2):183-187.

PMID: 28890620 PMC: 5571389. DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10005-1431.

A longitudinal study of early childhood caries incidence in Wenzhou preschool children.

Wang X, Wei Z, Li Q, Mei L BMC Oral Health. 2017; 17(1):105.

PMID: 28676047 PMC: 5496385. DOI: 10.1186/s12903-017-0394-1.

Factors associated with early childhood caries incidence among high caries-risk children.

Ghazal T, Levy S, Childers N, Broffitt B, Cutter G, Wiener H Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2015; 43(4):366-74.

PMID: 25777317 PMC: 4911172. DOI: 10.1111/cdoe.12161.

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