Epidemiology of dental caries in 5-year-old children in Israel

Association of Early Childhood Caries and Multiple Variable Factors in 3-6-year-old Children

Introduction

Dental caries is a globally prevailing condition. It is a common finding in all age-groups, whether it is young children or adults. Caries not only affects the oral health of an individual, but also the overall health of the individual.

Aims and Objectives

This article focuses on the association of ECC with BMI, SES status, maternal education, birth order, and number of siblings in age group of 3 to 6 year old children.

Material and methods

The study was planned and conducted in the Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Government College of Dentistry, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India. The study consisted of 200 samples, including both groups. Group I included 100 patients with ECC and group II included 100 patients caries free. Children of age 3-6 years were randomly selected and evaluated for ECC and parameters like weight, height, number of siblings, birth order, SES status, and mothers' education.

Results

Body mass index (BMI) had no significant association with the occurrence of ECC. Statistical significant association was observed between the number of siblings and ECC. The "no caries" was significantly associated with "no sibling" or "one sibling". A significant association between SES status and ECC was observed. The upper and upper middle class had more number of caries free children, whereas the number of participants with ECC was significantly more in the upper lower class. There was a pronounced association between ECC and maternal education.

Conclusion

Researches like these help us to broaden our aspects of understanding that caries is not caused by only one factor but a magnitude of factors. It's prevention should take into consideration not only the dietary habits but also on increasing awareness about importance of oral hygiene and how it can be affected by other social varients.This article focuses on the association of ECC with BMI, SES status, maternal education, birth order, and number of siblings in 3-6-year-old children.

How to cite this article

Sahu P, Agrawal A, Jain D, et al. Association of Early Childhood Caries and Multiple Variable Factors in 3-6-year-old Children. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2023;16(1):42-47.

Dental caries in African preschool children: social factors as disease markers

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the associations between dental caries prevalence and severity and social factors in 3- to 5-year-old African children.

METHODS

Dental caries was diagnosed in natural light using WHO criteria, minors, and explorers. Socioeconomic information was obtained by questionnaire.

RESULTS

The percentages of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds with any caries experience were 47 percent, 58 percent, and 63 percent, respectively. Mean dmfs scores (SD) were 2.2(3.6), 3.0(3.8), and 3.7(4.1), respectively. Family education was associated with caries prevalence (P = .03) and severity (P = .008) in a multivariable regression model.

CONCLUSION

In the indigenous African group studied, family education is a disease marker to target in future caries risk evaluations.

Relative contribution of dental services to the changes in caries levels of 12-year-old children in 18 industrialized countries in the 1970s and early 1980s

The contribution of health services to improvements in health is contentious. The main aim of the present study was to assess the relative contribution that dental services may have made to the changes in dental caries (decayed, missing or filled permanent teeth) level of 12-year-old children in some industrialized countries in the 1970s and early 1980s. A secondary aim was an analysis of the association of the changes in caries levels with broad socioeconomic factors. In this study aggregate (ecological) data from 18 industrialized countries were analyzed at a national level. Data were obtained from published papers and official publications and included 3 kinds of variables: caries, presence of dental service and broad socioeconomic factors (including fluoridated toothpastes). Dental services explained 3% of the variation in changes in 12-year-old caries levels in the 1970s and early 1980s period whereas broad socioeconomic factors (including or excluding fluoridated toothpastes) explained 65%. The findings suggest that dental services were relatively unimportant in explaining the differences in changes in 12 year-old caries levels in the 1970s and early 1980s in the 18 countries. The view that fluoride in toothpaste was the only important cause of the declines in decayed, missing or filled permanent teeth in industrialized countries was questioned. A possible important contribution of the dental services to the declines was a change in the diagnostic and treatment criteria of caries.

The University of North Carolina Caries Risk Assessment study: further developments in caries risk prediction

Over 4000 first and fifth grade children from the areas surrounding Aiken, South Carolina, and Portland, Maine, participated in a 4-yr study to develop caries risk assessment models. The predictors used at baseline included detailed clinical examinations, salivary microbiological tests, and sociodemographic and dental behavior data. Mean 3-yr caries increments in South Carolina were twice those in Maine. For the four risk assessment models (two grade cohorts at two sites) specificity values averaged 0.83 and sensitivity values averaged 0.60. Clinical predictors such as prior DMFS, pit and fissure morphology, and predicted caries risk status were the major contributors to the models.

Pattern of caries experience in a 12-year-old Brazilian population related to socioeconomic background

The aim of this work was to study the pattern of DMFT, DMFS, and DMFS components in groups of poor (91) and rich (89) 12-year-old children in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The results showed similar DMFT scores for the groups; however, the poor had a higher DMFS score than the rich. Filled surfaces comprised 96% (rich) and 50% (poor) of the DMFS values, and caries experience for the first molars were similar in the groups. Prevalence of interproximal caries was higher among the poor. It is concluded that the unequal access to dental care in the two populations may have influenced the DMFT values and concealed differences in the true disease experience.

The University of North Carolina Caries Risk Assessment Study. I: Rationale and content

This article presents the rationale and content of a current study that seeks to improve methods to identify children at high risk to dental caries. It summarizes the results of the development of a 12-factor, preliminary caries prediction model based on data derived from the National Preventive Demonstration Program. Despite data limitations, the model produced a sensitivity of .5 and specificity of .8 for four-year caries increment prediction in first- and fifth-grade children. Data on a number of additional potential predictors are being collected in two sites to expand and improve the existing model. These factors are identified.

Prevalence of dental caries, patterns of sugar consumption and oral hygiene practices in infancy in S. Africa

Dental caries is one of the most prevalent diseases of man and is the major cause of tooth mortality in the young. Although the precise aetiology of the disease is unknown, scientific evidence incriminates the interaction of three factors, viz. diet, plaque and the tooth. Several studies demonstrate a positive correlation between patterns of sugar consumption and caries experience. In contrast other studies showed no such association. This study investigated the frequency of sugar consumption habits, the mother's knowledge of oral hygiene as well as the oral hygiene methods she applies to her child and the prevalence of dental caries in infants between 1-2 yr of age. A representative sample of 100 mothers and infants from 10 child health clinics were interviewed. The results show that: mothers have a limited knowledge about oral hygiene and oral hygiene practices; infant sugar consumption habits seem to be influenced by the mother's sugar consumption habits; infants are introduced to sucrose containing food and drinks at the time of the eruption of the first tooth; the mean dmft(t) value in this group of infants was 2.37.

Prevalence of dental decay in Jewish and Arab schoolchildren in the Jerusalem area

The purpose of this survey was to gather up-to-date information on the prevalence of dental decay in schoolchildren in the Jerusalem area. Close to 650 Arab and Jewish schoolchildren aged 6-8 yr underwent oral examinations. The relationship between caries prevalence and treatment supplied with some secondary factors was studied. The results show that 92% of the children were affected by decay. Compared to former years there is an increase in the prevalence of dental caries throughout the population. No significant differences were found when sex, ethnic population or socioeconomic factors were related to caries prevalence. However, when DMF is broken down into its components, Arab children were seen to have a greater number of teeth affected by caries and in need of treatment (D). In contrast, treatment need has been met to a much greater degree among Jewish children than among Arab children. Data and explanations are offered.

Caries patterns in Head Start children in a fluoridated community

Assessment of caries experience based on the person rather than on the tooth opens the possibility for qualitative descriptions of caries in a population, as well as for the study of specific factors associated with different caries experiences. The study of a Head Start population in adjacent fluoridated communities was divided into two parts. It was the purpose of part one of the study to determine the prevalence of specific caries patterns (presumably associated with different etiologies). Of the children, 39 percent were caries-free; 32 percent had carious lesions only in pit-and-fissure defects of molars; 6.5 percent had carious lesions in hypoplastic defects; 11 percent had facial-lingual lesions, compatible with "nursing caries"; and 11.5 percent had approximal lesions of molars; no child in the study had rampant caries. The second part compared specific lifestyle variables with specific caries patterns. Statistically significant differences or trends were found between caries-free children and those with smooth-surface lesions for mother's educational level, time spent with grandparents, mother's perceived primary reason for cavities, and mother's tendency to permit the child to eat sweets without restriction. No significant differences or trends were found for lifestyle variables between caries-free children and those having lesions associated only with tooth defects.

A survey of preschool oral health education programs

The purpose of this survey was to determine how frequently various components of oral health education were included in 27 preschool oral health education programs and to compare the frequencies and the various combinations of components. The results of this survey indicate that the most significant problems relate to inadequate program design and evaluation. Goals, behavioral objectives, program content, media, evaluation measures, and parent and teacher involvement need to be more specifically and thoroughly designed and evaluated. The primary problem with program content was the lack of emphasis on education about the benefits of fluoride. Because of inconsistent and incomplete reporting of programs, judgments of the quality and effectiveness of the components in the 27 programs were not made.

Effect of family structure on the dental caries experience of children

It was the purpose of this study to investigate several variables in family structure which might influence the caries experience in 3-12-year-old children for Central Oklahoma. These variables, which included parental age at marriage and at birth of the child for both mother and father, birth rank, family size, and age span differences between the siblings, were investigated in an attempt to identify those children at greatest risk to dental caries formation. It was suggested that differences in the caries experience for children from various family structures might be the result of the families' socioeconomic status and its influence upon the child's dietary habits. Because dental caries is a multifactorial disease complex governed by so many factors, single correlations between variables in family structure and a child's caries prevalence are not necessarily sufficient by themselves to form a basis for selection of high risk children. It should not be overlooked that subtle differences in family structure, however, may have significant consequences for a particular individual.