Developmental delays and dental caries in low-income preschoolers in the USA: a pilot cross-sectional study and preliminary explanatory model

Oral Health Care for Children and Youth With Developmental Disabilities: Clinical Report

Oral health is an essential component of overall health for all individuals. The oral health of children and youth with developmental disabilities (CYDD) involves unique characteristics and needs of which pediatricians and pediatric clinicians can be aware. Risk for oral disease in CYDD is multifactorial and includes underlying medical conditions, medications, and ability to participate in preventive oral health care and treatment, and lack of access to providers is common for this population despite being eligible for Medicaid. Pediatric clinicians are uniquely positioned to support the oral health needs of CYDD and their families through the medical home. This clinical report aims to inform pediatric clinicians about the unique oral health needs of CYDD. It provides guidance on assessing caries risk and periodontal status using structured screening instruments; understanding dental trauma, the role of diet and caries risk, trauma prevention, and malocclusion; and providing anticipatory guidance on oral hygiene that includes tooth brushing, use of fluoridated toothpaste, assessing community water fluoridation, advocating for a dental home by 1 year of age, and transition to adult dental care as part of adolescent health care. It also highlights special considerations for dental treatment rendered under sedation or general anesthesia that CYDD may need. Pediatric clinicians can help reduce risk of CYDD developing dental disease by understanding the unique needs of their patients and their barriers to accessing oral health care in their community, communicating with the child's dental home, and advocating for safe and accessible dental procedures.

Prevalence and determinants of developmental delay among children in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Developmental delay is a public health problem in low- and middle-income countries. However, there is no summarized evidence in low- and middle-income countries on developmental delay, and primary studies on this issue show varied and inconclusive results. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the pooled magnitude of confirmed developmental delay and its determinants among children in low- and middle-income countries.

Methods

We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines to write this systematic review and meta-analysis. Primary studies were searched from PubMed, PsycINFO, Hinari, Science Direct, African Journal of Online, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, adapted for the cross-sectional studies, was used to assess the quality of the included studies. Heterogeneity and publication bias were assessed by the I2 and Eggers tests, respectively. Due to the high heterogeneity, the random effects model was used for analysis. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to show the association between developmental delay and its determinants.

Results

The pooled prevalence of confirmed developmental delay was 18.83, 95% CI (15.53-22.12). In the subgroup analysis, a high prevalence of developmental delay [26.69% (95% CI, 15.78-37.60)] was observed in studies performed in Africa. Maternal education [3.04; 95% CI (2.05, 4.52)] and low birth weight [3.61; 95% CI (1.72, 7.57)] were significant determinants of developmental delay.

Conclusion

The pooled prevalence of developmental delay in low- and middle-income countries was high as compared to that in high-income countries. Maternal education level and weight at birth were significantly associated with developmental delays. Therefore, strategies should be designed to decrease the rate of low birth weight and the number of illiterate mothers living in low- and middle-income countries.

Systematic review registration

PROSPERO, CRD42024513060.

A Mixed-Methods Study on Topical Fluoride Beliefs and Refusal Behaviors for Caregivers of Children with Special Health Care Needs

OBJECTIVE

To understand topical fluoride-related beliefs and refusal behaviors for caregivers of children with special health care needs (CSHCN).

METHODS

This was an explanatory sequential mixed methods study. For the quantitative analyses, we surveyed 520 caregivers to (a) compare fluoride-related beliefs between caregivers of CSHCN and caregivers of healthy children and (b) evaluate the association between special health care need (SHCN) status and topical fluoride refusal. We used logistic regression models to generate unadjusted odds ratios, confounder-adjusted odds ratios (AOR), and 95% confidence intervals (CI). For the qualitative analyses, we interviewed 56 caregivers who refused or were hesitant about topical fluoride. Data were coded deductively and compared by SHCN status to an existing conceptual model of topical fluoride refusal.

RESULTS

In the quantitative analysis, 41.3% of caregivers refused or thought about refusing topical fluoride. There were no significant differences in fluoride beliefs by SHCN status (p-values > 0.05) nor was there a significant association between SHCN status and topical fluoride refusal (AOR: 0.65, 95% CI 0.37-1.14; p = 0.13). In the qualitative analysis, the relative importance of each domain of the conceptual model was similar between the caregiver groups. Two differences were that all caregivers of CSHCN thought fluoride was unnecessary and wanted to keep chemicals out of their child's body.

CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE

While caregivers of CSHCN were not more likely to refuse topical fluoride than caregivers of healthy children, there may be important differences in the underlying reasons for refusing topical fluoride.

Children's Dental Fear: Occurrence Mechanism and Prevention Guidance

Children's dental fear (CDF) has become one of the main reasons affecting the quality of dental treatment. In order to reduce the incidence of CDF in China before and after children's dental visits, this review applies literature analysis and empirical summary methods to analyze and summarize academic discussions on this topic, including occurrence mechanism, prevention guidance, and the conclusion that the occurrence and prevention of CDF is closely related with children's internal characteristics and external influences. In the end, we propose a breakthrough of combining the CFSS-DS scale and three-grade prevention theory together in the future to provide new ideas and hypotheses for the prevention of CDF.

Dental Caries in Medicaid-Insured Preschool Children With or Without Special Health Care Needs in Northeast Ohio

IMPORTANCE

Children with special health care needs (CSHCN) are recognized to be at increased risk of developing dental caries (decay). Evidence is mixed regarding the association of preventive oral health care delivered by pediatric primary care clinicians with caries experience among CSHCN.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate caries experience, including untreated decay, among Medicaid-enrolled preschoolers with or without special health care needs.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This cross-sectional study used baseline data from the Pediatric Providers Against Cavities in Children's Teeth study, a cluster-randomized hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial conducted among 1022 Medicaid-enrolled preschoolers aged 3 to 6 years attending well-child visits at 18 participating community pediatric primary care practices in northeast Ohio. Baseline data were collected from November 1, 2017, to August 31, 2019, with statistical analyses conducted from April to August 2022.

EXPOSURES

Presence of special health care needs, as assessed by applying the Pediatric Medical Complexity Algorithm to International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision codes, was abstracted from electronic medical records. CSHCN were defined as having either noncomplex chronic disease (presence of only 1 nonprogressive chronic condition, or multiple nonprogressive chronic conditions in a single body system) or complex chronic disease (presence of any progressive chronic condition, malignant neoplasm, or significant chronic conditions involving multiple body systems).

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Untreated dental decay and caries experience as assessed through clinical dental examinations using International Caries Detection and Assessment System criteria.

RESULTS

A total of 1022 children aged 3 to 6 years from 18 practices were enrolled in the study. The mean (SD) age of the study population was 4.3 (1.1) years, 554 (54.2%) were boys, and of 988 with data on race and ethnicity, 451 (45.6%) were Black. Of these, 301 of 1019 (29.5%) had a likely special health care need (225 with noncomplex chronic conditions and 76 with complex chronic conditions). The most frequent chronic conditions included asthma (n = 209) and mental or behavioral health disorders (n = 146), including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism, and developmental delays. Overall, 296 children (29.0%) had untreated decay, and 378 (37.0%) had caries experience (decayed and filled teeth). Accounting for sociodemographic characteristics, CSHCN had 34% reduced odds of untreated decay (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.66 [95% CI, 0.48-0.92]) compared with those with without chronic disease. In addition, caries experience was lower among CSHCN (AOR, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.60-1.04]).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this cross-sectional study of Medicaid-enrolled children who attended well-child visits as preschoolers, untreated dental decay was lower among CSHCN compared with those without chronic conditions. This study suggests that CSHCN may have had better access to the various types of dental care facilitated in medical settings.

Preventive oral health care use for children with special health care needs aged 6 through 12 years enrolled in Medicaid: A mixed methods study

BACKGROUND

The authors aimed to assess preventive oral health care (POHC) use for children with special health care needs (CSHCN) aged 6 through 12 years enrolled in Medicaid and identify intervention strategies to improve oral health.

METHODS

In this sequential mixed methods study, the authors analyzed 2012 Medicaid data for children aged 6 through 12 years in Washington state. They used eligibility and claims data to identify special health care needs status (independent variable) and POHC use (outcome variable). They ran modified Poisson regression models to generate prevalence rate ratios. They coded data from 21 key informant interviews deductively using content analytic techniques.

RESULTS

Of the 208,648 children in the study, 18% were identified as CSHCN and 140,468 used POHC (67.3%). After adjusting for confounding variables, the authors found no difference in POHC use by special health care need status (prevalence rate ratio, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.99 to 1.01; P = .91). In the qualitative analysis, the authors identified 5 themes: caries risk depends on a child's specific health condition, caries complicates overall health, having a special need creates a bigger barrier to care, legislation alone is "not going to make much of a dent," and improvements across all fronts are needed to promote the oral health of CSHCN in Medicaid.

CONCLUSIONS

CSHCN enrolled in Medicaid are just as likely as children without special health care needs to use POHC, although barriers to oral health care access persist for CSHCN.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

Future efforts should focus on comprehensive strategies that address the varying levels of dental disease risk and difficulties accessing oral health care within the diverse group of CSHCN.

Fluoride Use in Caries Prevention in the Primary Care Setting

Dental caries remains the most common chronic disease of childhood in the United States. Caries is a largely preventable condition, and fluoride has proven effectiveness in caries prevention. This clinical report aims to clarify the use of available fluoride modalities for caries prevention in the primary care setting and to assist pediatricians in using fluoride to achieve maximum protection against dental caries, while minimizing the likelihood of enamel fluorosis. Fluoride varnish application is now considered the standard of care in pediatric primary care. This report highlights administration, billing, and payment information regarding the fluoride varnish procedure.

Oral health behaviours and dental caries in low-income children with special healthcare needs: A prospective observational study

BACKGROUND

Dental caries is a significant public health problem for low-income children with special healthcare needs (CSHCN).

AIM

We evaluated associations between oral health behaviours (eg diet, fluoride, dental care) and dental caries for CSHCN enrolled in Medicaid, a health insurance programme for low-income populations that provides comprehensive dental coverage for children.

DESIGN

We recruited 116 CSHCN ages 7-20 years from Medicaid enrolment files in Washington state, USA. Caregivers completed a 166-item questionnaire, and children received a dental screening. The outcome was dental caries, defined as total pre-cavitated, decayed, missing or filled tooth (PDMF) surfaces. We ran log-linear regression models and generated prevalence rate ratios (PRR).

RESULTS

The mean age of study participants was 12.4 ± 3.1 years, 41.4% were female, and 38.8% were white. The mean PDMF surfaces were 6.4 ± 9.4 (range: 0-49). Only sugar-sweetened beverage intake was significantly associated with dental caries. CSHCN who consumed >4 sugar-sweetened beverages per week were significantly more likely to have dental caries than those who consumed no sugar-sweetened beverages (PRR: 2.58; 95% CI: 1.37, 4.85; P < .01).

CONCLUSION

Sugar-sweetened beverages are an important target for future behavioural interventions aimed at preventing dental caries in low-income CSHCN.

Preventive dental care use for children with special health care needs in Washington's Access to Baby and Child Dentistry program

BACKGROUND

Preschool-aged children with special health care needs (CSHCN) from low-income households are at increased risk of developing poor oral health. The study goal was to assess preventive dental care use for CSHCN enrolled in Medicaid within Washington state's Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD) program.

METHODS

The authors analyzed 2012 Medicaid eligibility and claims files for children younger than 6 years in the ABCD program (N = 206,488). The authors used medical diagnosis and eligibility data to identify each child's special needs status (no or yes). The outcome was preventive dental care use (no or yes). The authors used modified Poisson regression models to estimate crude and covariate-adjusted prevalence rate ratios.

RESULTS

Of the 206,488 children in the study, 2.1% were CSHCN, and 114,570 used preventive dental care (55.5%). CSHCN used preventive care at rates similar to those of children without special health care needs (SHCN) (54.7% and 55.5%, respectively; P = .32). After adjustment for confounding variables, CSHCN were significantly less likely to use preventive dental care than were children without SHCN (prevalence rate ratio, 0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.88 to 0.94; P < .001). Older preschool-aged children were significantly more likely to use preventive dental care than were younger preschool-aged children. A significantly higher proportion of preventive medical care users also used preventive dental care.

CONCLUSIONS

CSHCN who were enrolled in Medicaid in Washington's ABCD program were less likely to use preventive dental care than were children without SHCN who were enrolled in Medicaid.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

Future intervention research investigators should evaluate ways to improve access to preventive dental care for CSHCN. Additional strategies may be needed to improve oral health behaviors for preschool-aged CSHCN receiving Medicaid.

Oral Health for US Children with Special Health Care Needs

Children with special health care needs (CSHCN) are a vulnerable population subgroup, but little is known about their oral health, particularly regarding the prevalence and cause of tooth decay. This lack of knowledge is a barrier to progress in terms of developing evidence-based clinical interventions and policies aimed at promoting oral health in CSHCN. This article reviews the oral health literature pertaining to CSHCN, identifies critical knowledge gaps, highlights future research opportunities, and extends clinical recommendations to pediatric health care providers.

Common dental diseases in children and malocclusion

Malocclusion is a worldwide dental problem that influences the affected individuals to varying degrees. Many factors contribute to the anomaly in dentition, including hereditary and environmental aspects. Dental caries, pulpal and periapical lesions, dental trauma, abnormality of development, and oral habits are most common dental diseases in children that strongly relate to malocclusion. Management of oral health in the early childhood stage is carried out in clinic work of pediatric dentistry to minimize the unwanted effect of these diseases on dentition. This article highlights these diseases and their impacts on malocclusion in sequence. Prevention, treatment, and management of these conditions are also illustrated in order to achieve successful oral health for children and adolescents, even for their adult stage.

The effect of social geographic factors on the untreated tooth decay among head start children

Background

Disparities among untreated dental caries exist for children from low-income families in the United States. Understanding of the mechanism of the disparities is required to reduce it and social geographic factors are one of the important influences. Although the effect of fluoridated water has been well reported, studies of other sociogeograpic factors, such as the density of available dentists, are still very limited. The objective of this study is to explore the effect of sociogeographic factors on the number of primary teeth with untreated dental caries among children from low-income families who are enrolled in Head Start programs throughout Northeast Ohio of the United States.

Material and Methods

This was a cross-sectional chart review study. Three hundred-eighty-eight charts were reviewed, and the number of primary teeth with untreated dental caries (dt) and the children’s addresses were retrieved. The sociogeographic variables, including fluoridated water availability and the density of available dentists who accept a government-supported insurance (Medicaid dentists), were collected.

Results

The mean (standard deviation) of children’s age was 3.51 (1.14) years with a range of 7 months to 5 years. A negative binomial regression model analysis, which used dt as a dependent variable and children’s characteristic factors (i.e. age, gender, insurance type, and total number of primary teeth) and sociogeographic factors (i.e. Population, total number of Medicaid dentists, density of Medicaid dentist, and Fluoride water availability) of cities, as independent variables, demonstrated that only the density of Medicaid dentist in the sociogeographic factors indicated a significant effect (Estimated ß-Coefficients (Standard Errors)=-0.003 (0.002), p=0.030).

Conclusions

This study demonstrated a significant negative association between the density of available dentists and untreated dental caries among children from low-income families in Head Start programs in Northeast Ohio. Increasing available dentists may be a strategy to reduce the number of early childhood caries.

Key words:Child, poverty, dental caries, Health Services Accessibility.

A scoping review of epidemiologic risk factors for pediatric obesity: Implications for future childhood obesity and dental caries prevention research

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

What are the non-modifiable (socioeconomic, genetic) and modifiable factors (physical activity, dietary behaviors) related to childhood (under age 12) obesity? How can this knowledge be applied to oral health professionals' efforts to prevent or manage dental caries in children?

OBJECTIVES

Studies have identified risk factors for childhood obesity. The purpose of this scoping review was to develop a conceptual model to identify non-modifiable and modifiable risk factors for childhood obesity and to illustrate how these findings are relevant in developing interventions aimed at preventing obesity and dental caries in children.

METHODS

The authors searched PubMed and Embase and limited the study to English-language publications. A total of 2,572 studies were identified. After de-duplication, 2,479 studies remained and were downloaded into a citation-management tool. Two authors screened the titles and abstracts for relevance. Two hundred and sixty studies remained and were retrieved for a full-text review, and 80 studies were excluded, resulting in 180 studies included in the scoping review. An inductive content analytic methods was used to organize all statistically significant obesity risk factors into seven domains, which were classified as non-modifiable or modifiable; then a conceptual model of common risk factors associated with childhood obesity and dental caries was developed.

RESULTS

Non-modifiable obesity risk factors include biological and developmental (e.g., genes, developmental conditions, puberty), sociodemographic and household (e.g., race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, parent education, unemployment), cultural (e.g., degree of acculturation), and community (e.g., neighborhood composition). Modifiable risk factors included behavioral (e.g., diet, physical activity, weight), psychosocial (e.g., maternal stress, family functioning, parenting practices, child temperament), and medical (e.g., parent smoking, maternal health, child health).

CONCLUSIONS

Identifying common risk factors has important implications for future oral health research aimed at preventing childhood obesity and dental caries. Epidemiologic knowledge gleaned from the literature can be used to develop rigorous interventions and programs aimed at preventing these highly prevalent diseases and improving health outcomes for children.

A case report on dental management of a toddler with Pachygyria

Children with special health care needs receive less oral care than the normal population, inspite of the high level of dental diseases among them. They are at an increased risk for oral diseases throughout their lifetime. This paper reports a case of a toddler with congenital unusual thick convolutions of the cortex resulting in a condition called pachygyria. Intra oral examination showed multiple abscesses with poor oral hygiene. As the patient was lacking cooperative ability, treatment of full mouth rehabilitation as needed. The parents were advised for regular dental check-ups and informed about maintenance of good oral hygiene. This case report demonstrates the importance of oral hygiene maintenance of special children and also about their short and long term dental treatment protocol for maintaining good oral health. Key words:Pachygyria, general anaesthesia, special child, health care needs, preventive measures.

Oral health services within community-based organizations for young children with special health care needs

PURPOSE

To identify the types of oral health services offered by community-based organizations to young children with special health care needs (CSHCN) and the barriers and facilitators to the provision of these in a nonfluoridated community.

METHODS

Thirteen key informant interviews with representatives from early intervention agencies, advocacy groups, and oral health programs who provide services to CSHCN in Spokane county, Washington. We used a content analysis to thematically identify oral health services as proactive or incidental and the barriers and facilitators to their provision.

RESULTS

We identified four types of oral health services: screenings, parent education, preventive dental care, and dental referrals. Barriers to providing all four services included limited agency resources, restrictive administrative and system-level policies, and low demand from parents. A barrier to providing education and preventive dental care was community disagreement regarding fluoride. A barrier to providing dental referrals was the perceived lack of dentists who could treat CSHCN. Facilitators included community partnerships among the organizations and utilization of the statewide oral health program.

CONCLUSIONS

Oral health services for young CSHCN are limited and often delivered in response to oral health problems. Coordinated efforts between community-based organizations, health providers, and advocates are necessary to ensure the provision of comprehensive care, including preventive and restorative services, to all young CSHCN.

SBIRT-Based Interventions to Improve Pediatric Oral Health Behaviors and Outcomes: Considerations for Future Behavioral SBIRT Interventions in Dentistry

Dental caries is the most common chronic disease in children and is caused by poor oral health behaviors. These behaviors include high-sugar diet, inadequate exposure to topical fluorides, and irregular use of professional dental care services. A number of behavioral intervention approaches have been used to modify health behaviors. One example is the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) model, which has been widely used to reduce substance abuse in both adults and children. SBIRT is a promising behavior change approach that could similarly be used to address problematic oral health behaviors. In this paper, we will review oral health studies that have adopted SBIRT components, assess if these interventions improved oral health behaviors and outcomes, and outline considerations for researchers interested in developing and testing future oral health-related SBIRT interventions in dentistry.

Factors associated with caries: a survey of students from southern Brazil

OBJECTIVE

To describe the factors associated with dental caries among students from Santa Cruz do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in a random sample of 623 students of both genders, aged 10-17 years old. Tooth decay was performed using the index of the World Health Organization (1997), DMFT (permanent dentition) that expresses the sum of decayed, missing and filled teeth per person. The maternal educational level was rated using criteria of the Brazilian Association of Market Research Companies. The remaining variables were obtained by a structured questionnaire. Poisson regression analysis was used to test the association between variables using robust models and a subsequently adjusted model. Data were expressed as prevalence ratio (PR).

RESULTS

Multivariate analysis identified the following factors related to the experience of dental caries: residence in rural municipalities (PR: 1.15; 95%CI: 1.0-1.3), attending a city school (PR: 3.30; 95%CI: 1.1-9.4) or a state school (PR: 3.40; 95%CI: 1.1-9.6); and having an illiterate mother or a mother that only attended up to the 4th year of school (PR: 1.67; 95%CI: 1.1-2.4) or high school (PR: 1.54; 95%CI: 1.1-2.2).

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of caries in students in southern Brazil was associated with residence in rural areas, mother with little education and attendance to a public school.

Required propofol dose for anesthesia and time to emerge are affected by the use of antiepileptics: prospective cohort study

Background

We investigated the impact of the type of neurological disorder on the required propofol dose for anesthesia and the time to emerge from anesthesia during dental treatment in patients with autism (AU), cerebral palsy (CP), and intellectual disability (ID), some of whom also had epilepsy.

Methods

We studied 224 patients with a neurological disorder who underwent dental treatment under intravenous general anesthesia. Patients were categorized according to neurological disorder (AU, CP, and ID; and with or without an antiepileptic). The propofol dose required for anesthesia, time to emerge, and modeled propofol blood concentration at emergence were evaluated.

Results

In patients not given an antiepileptic, we found no significant differences in the propofol dose, modeled propofol blood concentration at emergence, or time to emerge among patients with AU, CP, and ID (P > 0.05). When using an antiepileptic, the dose of propofol (5.7 ± 1.51 mg/kg/h) was significantly lower than without an antiepileptic (6.8 ± 1.27 mg/kg/h) (P < 0.0001). The modeled propofol blood concentration at emergence in patients given an antiepileptic (0.5 ± 0.03 μg/ml) was significantly lower than without an antiepileptic (0.7 ± 0.02 μg/ml) (P < 0.0001). The time to emerge in patients given an antiepileptic (29.5 ± 12.5 min) was significantly longer than without an antiepileptic (21.6 min ± 10.0 min) (P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

The propofol dose required for anesthesia and the time to emerge from anesthesia are not affected by the type of neurological disorder, but are affected by antiepileptic use.

Trial registration

University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN000014179), Date of registration 4 June 2014.

Anthropometric measurements and dental caries in children: a systematic review of longitudinal studies

There is growing interest in the association between anthropometric measurements and dental caries in childhood over time (life-course studies). The aim of this review was to identify and systematically review the evidence of the association between anthropometric measurements and dental caries in childhood over time. PubMed, Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) Web of Knowledge, the Cochrane Library, and 6 other databases were searched to identify effective articles. A systematic approach involving critical appraisal was conducted to examine the relation between anthropometric measurements and dental caries in preschool- and school-aged populations from longitudinal studies. An initial search identified 1338 studies, with 59 potentially effective studies (κ = 0.82) and 17 effective studies (κ = 0.88). The quality of reporting among the studies ranged from 19.5 to 30.0 according to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) criteria. Among the effective studies, 2 studies in which caries was used to predict anthropometric measurements consistently found an inverse association and 15 studies in which anthropometric measurements were used to predict caries were inconsistent, with results appearing to be influenced by nonuniformity of assessments, setting, and procedure of measurements; age and ethnicity of participants; and confounders of dental caries. In conclusion, among >1000 studies identified, 17 informed this systematic review. The quality of reporting of these studies varied considerably. Evidence of the association between anthropometric measurements and dental caries is conflicting and remains inconclusive.

Early life-course socioeconomic position, adult work-related factors and oral health disparities: cross-sectional analysis of the J-SHINE study

OBJECTIVES

We examined the association between socioeconomic position (SEP) and oral health, and the associations of economic difficulties in childhood and workplace-related factors on these parameters.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 3201 workers aged 25-50 years, living in and around Tokyo, Japan, from the J-SHINE (Japanese study of Stratification, Health, Income, and Neighborhood) study. The response rate was 31.6%.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Self-rated oral health (SROH)-A logistic regression model was used to estimate ORs for the association between poor SROH and each indicator of SEP (annual household income, wealth, educational attainment, occupation and economic situation in childhood). Multiple imputation was used to address missing values.

RESULTS

Each indicator of SEP, including childhood SEP, was significantly inversely associated with SROH, and all of the workplace-related factors (social support in the workplace, job stress, working hours and type of employment) were also significantly associated with SROH. Compared with professionals, blue-collar workers had a significantly higher OR of poor SROH and the association was substantially explained by the workplace-related factors; ORs ranged from 1.44 in the age-adjusted and sex-adjusted model to 1.18 in the multivariate model. Poverty during childhood at age 5 and at age 15 was associated with poorer SROH, and these two factors seemed to be independently associated with SROH.

CONCLUSIONS

We found oral health disparity across SEP among workers in Japan. Approximately 60% of the association between occupation and SROH was explained by job-related factors. Economic difficulties during childhood appear to affect SROH in adulthood separately from sex, age and the current workplace-related factors.

Preventive dental health care experiences of preschool-age children with special health care needs

PURPOSE

This study examined the preventive dental health care experiences of young children with special needs and determined the feasibility of conducting clinical dental examinations at a community-based early intervention services center.

METHODS

Study methods included 90 parent interviews and dental examinations of their preschool-age children.

RESULTS

Thirteen percent of the children received optimal preventive care, defined as twice daily tooth brushing with fluoridated toothpaste and two preventive dental visits in the prior 12 months; 37% experienced care that fell short in both areas. Optimal care was more common among children of parents who reported tooth brushing was not a struggle and those with a personal dentist. Parents' opinion of the study experience was generally positive.

CONCLUSIONS

Few children with special needs receive effective preventive care early, when primary prevention could be achieved. Barriers to optimal care could be readily addressed by the dental community in coordination with early intervention providers.