Case-Control Study of Early Childhood Caries in Australia

Abstract

The aim of this case-control study of 617 children was to investigate early childhood caries (ECC) risk indicators in a non-fluoridated region in Australia. ECC cases were recruited from childcare facilities, public hospitals and private specialist clinics to source children from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Non-ECC controls were recruited from the same childcare facilities. A multinomial logistic modelling approach was used for statistical analysis. The results showed that a large percentage of children tested positive for Streptococcus mutans if their mothers also tested positive. A common risk indicator found in ECC children from childcare facilities and public hospitals was visible plaque (OR 4.1, 95% CI 1.0–15.9, and OR 8.7, 95% CI 2.3–32.9, respectively). Compared to ECC-free controls, the risk indicators specific to childcare cases were enamel hypoplasia (OR 4.2, 95% CI 1.0–18.3), difficulty in cleaning child’s teeth (OR 6.6, 95% CI 2.2–19.8), presence of S. mutans (OR 4.8, 95% CI 0.7–32.6), sweetened drinks (OR 4.0, 95% CI 1.2–13.6) and maternal anxiety (OR 5.1, 95% CI 1.1–25.0). Risk indicators specific to public hospital cases were S. mutans presence in child (OR 7.7, 95% CI 1.3–44.6) or mother (OR 8.1, 95% CI 0.9–72.4), ethnicity (OR 5.6, 95% CI 1.4–22.1), and access of mother to pension or health care card (OR 20.5, 95% CI 3.5–119.9). By contrast, a history of chronic ear infections was found to be protective for ECC in childcare children (OR 0.28, 95% CI 0.09–0.82). The biological, socioeconomic and maternal risk indicators demonstrated in the present study can be employed in models of ECC that can be usefully applied for future longitudinal studies.

Family context and incidence of dental caries in preschool children living in areas covered by the Family Health Strategy in Salvador, Bahia State, Brazil

“…Parental stress has been reported as a potential risk factor for caries in preschool children 14,17,18 , and parents' and caregivers' cognitive characteristics have also been associated with caries in this group 19 . Other psychosocial factors, like alcohol abuse in the family and maternal psychiatric disorders have been associated with this condition 14,15,16 . Quiñonez et al 18 also observed that severe early caries was associated with psychosocial alterations, as in the current study.…”

“…Living conditions and psychosocial aspects of the family context can also contribute to the development of caries, including mental disorders 14,15,16,17,18 and cognitive factors 19 . Multivariate analyses and longitudinal studies on this topic are rare.…”

Diagnostic and Preventive Approaches for Dental Caries in Children: A Review

“…Several studies reported the use of bottle feeding and breastfeeding as ECC risk factors, whereas the results of other studies found no effect by the 2 risk factors or differences between them (22)(23)(24)(25)(26). The length of breast and bottle feeding may play a role to caries development.…”

Early Childhood Caries: A Literature Review

“…7,8 EÇÇ GÖRÜLME SIKLIĞI VE DAĞILIMI Diş çürüğünü önlemeye yönelik koruyucu uygulamalara rağmen EÇÇ, tüm dünyayı ilgilendiren bir sağlık sorunu olmaya devam etmektedir. 9 Yaş aralığı 2-4 yıl olan çocuklarda EÇÇ prevalansının 1988-1994 yılları arasında %18,5 olduğu, 1999-2004 yılları arasında ise bu prevalansın %23,7'ye yükseldiği rapor edilmektedir. Bu yaş grubunda belirlenmiş hedef 2010'lu yıllarda %11 olarak açık-lanmaktadır.…”