In a cross‐sectional study design, we test the hypothesis whether childhood obesity is associated with reduced flow rate of stimulated whole saliva and dental caries. Obese adolescents (n = 65) with a mean age of 14.5 years and normal weight subjects (n = 65) with a mean age of 14.2 years were clinically examined with respect to dental caries, visible plaque accumulation (visible plaque index (VPI%)), gingival inflammation in terms of bleeding on probing (BOP%) as well as answered a questionnaire concerning medical history, medication, oral hygiene habits, smoking habits, and sociodemographic background. The flow rate of stimulated whole saliva (ml/min) was determined. BMI was calculated and adjusted for age and gender (BMI‐sds). The obese subjects exhibited higher number of decayed surfaces (DS), 0.7 vs. 0.1 (P = 0.008) and lower flow rate of stimulated whole saliva 1.2 vs. 2.0 ml/min (P < 0.001). Of obese patients, 17 subjects had VPI% >25 and 21 had BOP% >25, both compared to only 5 subjects of the normal weight with P values of 0.005 and <0.001, respectively. In a multivariate logistic regression model BMI‐sds was significantly associated with the flow rate of stimulated whole saliva less than the median value 1.5 ml/min (P < 0.001; odds ratio (OR) 1.36) as well as with DS (DS >0) (P = 0.002; OR 1.31) and the associations were not found to be confounded by any of the studied variables. The results indicate that childhood obesity is associated with reduced flow rate of stimulated whole saliva and dental caries and further strengthens obesity's negative effect on children's oral health.

Dental fear, gingival inflammation, a foreign-born mother, and irregular toothbrushing at night are variables that are strongly associated with high caries experience in 19-year olds. The study indicates that foreign-born parents, oral hygiene habits, and behavioral factors still have a strong impact on dental health in late adolescence.

Introduction:Maternal health during pregnancy plays a part in child health, and several conditions have been associated with adverse child outcomes.Objectives:To determine the socioeconomic determinants and maternal health factors associated with dental caries in young children.Methods:This cross-sectional study is part of a register-based cohort study including all children who were born from 2000 to 2003 and were residing in Stockholm County, Sweden, at age 3 y (n = 73,658). The study followed the cohort until individuals were 7 y old. The final study cohort comprised all children examined at 3 and 7 y (n = 65,259). Data on socioeconomic conditions, maternal health, and maternal health behavior were extracted from Swedish national registries. The multivariate analyses used 2 outcomes: caries experience at age 3 and 7 y (deft > 0 [decayed, extracted, and filled teeth]).Results:The results of this study show that socioeconomic and maternal health behaviors during pregnancy are important determinants of oral health in their preschool offspring. When all significant risk factors were present, the cumulative probability of being diagnosed with dental caries at age 7 y was 75%.Conclusion:This study also showed that maternal obesity and smoking during pregnancy were predictors of dental caries in preschool children. Strategies must be developed for increasing maternal motivation and self-efficacy and providing mothers with knowledge and caries-preventive tools.Knowledge Transfer Statement:The results of this study inform clinicians about the importance of including a more detailed history regarding maternal health and maternal health behaviors during pregnancy to assess caries risk in preschool children. Education, income, and other socioeconomic factors are difficult to modify in the short term. Therefore, strategies must be developed to increase parental motivation and self-efficacy to give parents the determination, knowledge, and tools for prevention.