Oral Hygiene and Parent-Related Factors during Early Childhood in Relation to Approximal Caries at 15 Years of Age

Abstract

The aim was to investigate whether oral hygiene habits and parent-related factors, recorded in early childhood, have a predictive value in relation to approximal caries experience (including initial caries lesions) at the age of 15 years (n = 568). Data were selected from examinations, interviews and questionnaires at 1 and 3 years and bitewing radiographs at 15 years. Four levels of cut-off points for the statistical analysis were used: DFa = 0, > 0, ≧4 and ≧8. In the final logistic regression analyses, mother’s self-estimation of her oral health care being less good remained statistically significant and predicted a caries experience of DFa > 0 at 15 years. The following four variables predicted DFa ≧4: (1) female gender, (2) plaque on maxillary incisors at 1 year, (3) mother’s self-estimation of her oral health care being less good and (4) father being less satisfied with his social situation. Two variables predicted DFa ≧8: (1) toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste just once a day, and (2) father being less satisfied with his social situation. Furthermore, children who failed to attend the examination at 1 year of age had 6.95 ± 5.36 (mean ± SD) DFa at 15 years compared with 3.10 ± 3.85 for children who were examined at 1 year of age (p < 0.01). To conclude, factors explaining good dental health at 15 years of age pertained to both children and parents. Thus, it seems that good oral hygiene habits, established in early childhood, provide a foundation for a low experience of approximal caries in adolescents.

Effectiveness of oral hygiene after supervised tooth-brushing education in six-year-old children at a primary school in Vietnam

“…In addition, in the present study, the children appeared to absorb the knowledge quickly. Supervised tooth-brushing education appears to be very effective for this age group, as has been reported in previous studies [10,14]. This also supports the importance of early toothbrushing education, as well as the importance of supervision by an adult with a good knowledge of tooth-brushing techniques, which could be dental staff or teachers at the school, as well as parents.…”

“…However, in spite of the small number of participants, the results still provided an important message, namely the importance of education for effective toothbrushing techniques at an early age, as this is an important mediating factor for dental caries. This is also supported by other studies [10,12]. Moreover, the Bass method was used as a standardised tooth-brushing technique in this study.…”

“…It has been previously established that it is important to create good habits at an early age to prevent caries [10] and tooth-brushing should be supported by supervision by parents or another adult [11][12][13]. Most oral hygiene programmes are aimed at elementary schoolchildren rather than preschool children.…”

Caries Prevalence, Caries-Related Factors and Plaque pH in Adolescents with Long-Term Asthma

“…The asthmatic adolescents were patients at the Department of Paediatrics at the County Hospital Ryhov, Jönköping, Sweden. To estimate the sample size in the present study, the mean approximal DFS and standard deviation of 3.2 8 5.4 from a study including participants in the same age and in the same geographic area by Alm et al [2008] were used. If the power was set to 80% and the level of significance to !…”

Oral Health of Children and Adolescents in Da Nang

“…Almost all preschool children in this study were attending kindergarten for the whole day, meaning that kindergarten staff must assume an elevated level of responsibility for the preventive measures necessary to keep children's teeth healthy. The importance of constant vigilance and the establishment of good oral hygiene habits is demonstrated by the evidence that these habits, including the use of fluoride toothpaste when established early in childhood, provide a foundation for reduced caries prevalence at the age of fifteen [24]. The result of this study should be used for both the planning of dental care resources in the long term and the evaluating of existing oral health preventive programs.…”