Association between early childhood caries and diet quality among Chinese children aged 2–5 years

Abstract

BackgroundEarly childhood caries (ECC) is a major oral problem affecting the health and wellbeing of children worldwide. Diet quality is a better predictor of ECC risk than single foods or specific nutrients. The purposes of this study were to assess the associations between ECC and diet quality among 2- to 5-year-old Chinese children.MethodsA total of 150 eligible children were included in this study. The decayed, missing, or filled surface (dmfs) score was recorded for each child by dental examination. All participants were divided into three groups based on their age and dmfs score [the caries-free group, the ECC group, and the severe early childhood caries (S-ECC) group]. Parents were invited to complete a questionnaire on the general characteristics and oral health behaviors of the participants. The information of 24-h dietary intake from each child was captured via a mobile APP. The Chinese diet balance index for preschool children (DBI_C) indicators score, high bound score (HBS), low bound score (LBS), and diet quality distance (DQD) score were calculated to assess the diet quality of study subjects. The associations of ECC with HBS, LBS, DQD score, and DBI_C indicators score were analyzed by Mann-Whitney U test and multivariable logistic regression analysis.ResultsIn this study, 21, 31, and 98 children were diagnosed with caries-free, ECC, and S-ECC, respectively. Statistical analysis revealed that the risk of ECC and S-ECC were significantly increased with the DQD score (OR = 1.283 and 1.287, respectively), but both were not associated with HBS and LBS (P > 0.05). In the meantime, the risk of ECC and S-ECC were significantly increased with the Grains score (OR = 1.623 and 1.777, respectively), and significantly decreased with the Food diversity score (OR = 0.271 and 0.315, respectively). Moreover, the risk of S-ECC also significantly decreased with the Vegetables score (OR = 0.137).ConclusionBoth ECC and S-ECC were associated with a high degree of dietary imbalance and grains intake as well as a low degree of food diversity among Chinese children aged 2–5 years. In addition, S-ECC was also associated with a low degree of vegetable intake.

Decoding Early Childhood Caries: A Comprehensive Review Navigating the Impact of Evolving Dietary Trends in Preschoolers

“…Infant dietary practices, particularly the consumption of sugary beverages, have been linked to the occurrence of ECC among preschoolers [ 26 ]. Notably, a study involving Chinese children aged two to five years revealed that heightened food diversity correlated with reduced caries prevalence [ 27 ]. Additionally, frequent consumption of simple carbohydrates, primarily dietary sugars, significantly escalates the risk of dental caries [ 28 ].…”

Breastfeeding: A pediatric Dentistry Approach

“…Caries is a sugar-dependent disease that causes demineralization of enamel, which is caused by the increasing acidity of the microenvironment produced by a selective group of bacteria [1] . The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry defines early childhood caries (ECC) when a child under 71 months of age has one or more decayed (with or without cavitation lesions), absent (due to caries) or filled (dmfs) tooth surfaces on any primary tooth [2] . In developed countries, its prevalence is between 1% and 12%, but can reach 70% in high-risk populations, such as low socioeconomic groups or ethnic minorities [3] .…”