Effect of Mode of Delivery on Early Oral Colonization and Childhood Dental Caries: A Systematic Review

Abstract

This review investigated whether mode of delivery influences the colonization of infant’s oral cavity and the risk of early childhood caries (ECC). The search strategy included systematic searching of electronic databases (Web of Science and PubMed) for articles published (1995–2015) and hand searching of references lists. Outcomes of interest were the presence of oral caries-related microorganisms, oral species considered protective against caries, and dental caries. Other outcomes included severity of dental caries, dental claims, and age at first dental visit. Study quality was assessed using the EPHPP tool. For each study, we present odds ratios and respective 95% confidence intervals for the association between these outcomes and the mode of delivery. Fourteen studies were identified. In 5 out of 8 studies addressing oral colonization, children born by cesarean section were less likely to harbor caries-related microorganisms as well as protective bacteria against caries and acquired caries-related microorganisms earlier, when compared with vaginally delivered children. No consistent results were obtained for the association between mode of delivery and dental caries. Although there were differences in oral colonization by mode of delivery, it seems that other determinants rather than mode of delivery could be major contributors to the development of ECC.

Is the mode of childbirth delivery linked to the prevalence of early childhood caries? A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…In this study, we found no firm evidence of an elevated prevalence of early childhood caries levels in C-section children. Nevertheless, in contrast to the previous systematic review (Antão et al 2019 ), we noticed a weak but statistically significant tendency towards a higher caries prevalence in the C-section group. The certainty of this finding was, however, low due to inconsistencies and a high risk of bias in the majority of the included publications.…”

“…In this context, the mode of delivery is of particular interest, since the frequency of caesarean section (C-section) on maternal request has increased unprecedented over the recent decades (Begum et al 2020 ) and it is important to have solid information if this may affect the future oral health of the child. To our knowledge, the association between the mode of delivery and ECC has previously been addressed in one systematic review (Antão et al 2019 ). Based on four studies, the authors found no consistent relationship between the birth mode and the caries risk.…”

Evaluation of the Children with Black Tooth Stain According to the Severity of the Stain and the Number of Affected Primary Teeth: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…26 General opinion was the mode of delivery may lead to differences in the microbial acquisition pattern in the oral cavity but, other factors could modify its effect. 27,28 Therefore, this result should be supported by future microbiological studies about BTS and mode of delivery.…”