Caries prevalence and risk factors among children aged 0 to 36 months

Abstract

ABSTRACT:The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of caries and risk factors in outpatients of the Pediatric Ambulatory of the Pedro Ernesto University Hospital aging up to 36 months. After signing informed consent forms, the parents answered a structured questionnaire in order to evaluate risk factors for dental caries, including socioeconomic status, oral hygiene and dietary habits. A single investigator carried out the dental examination which assessed the presence of caries, biofilm and gingival bleeding. The data were analyzed by means of the Epi Info program, utilizing the chi-squared test. The children's mean age was 22.9 months. The prevalence of caries, including white spot lesions, was 41.6%, and the mean def-s was 1.7 (± 2.5). The most affected teeth were the maxillary incisors, and the most common lesion was the white spot. No significant associations were found between the prevalence of caries and socioeconomic status, frequency of oral hygiene, nocturnal bottle-and breast-feeding or cariogenic food and beverage intake during the day. However, the association between caries and oral hygiene quality (dental biofilm) was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The results suggest that the presence of a thick biofilm was the most important factor for the occurrence of early childhood caries in the evaluated sample. UNITERMS: Dental caries; Primary prevention; Infant; Child, preschool. RESUMO: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a prevalência de cárie e de fatores de risco em crianças com idade até 36 meses cadastradas no Ambulatório de Pediatria do Hospital Universitário Pedro Ernesto (HUPE-UERJ). Após a obtenção de consentimento livre e informado, foi realizada uma entrevista com os responsáveis por meio da qual foram avaliados os fatores de risco à cárie, incluindo condições sócio-econômico-culturais, hábitos de higiene oral e de dieta. Um único examinador realizou o exame bucal das crianças para a avaliação de cárie, de biofilme dental e de sangramento gengival. Os dados obtidos foram analisados através do programa Epi Info, utilizando-se o teste qui-quadrado. As crianças tinham em média 22,9 meses de idade. A prevalência de cárie encontrada, incluindo lesões não cavitadas, foi de 41,6% e o índice ceo-s foi de 1,7 (± 2,5). Os dentes mais afetados foram os anteriores superiores e o tipo de lesão mais comum foi a mancha branca ativa. Não houve associação significativa estatisticamente entre a prevalência de cá-rie e os fatores sócio-econômico-culturais, freqüência de higiene, hábito de amamentação noturna e dieta cariogênica durante o dia. Entretanto, a associação entre cárie e presença de biofilme dental foi considerada altamente significativa (p < 0,001). Os resultados sugerem que o acúmulo de biofilme dental espesso foi o fator preponderante para a ocorrência da cárie de estabelecimento precoce na amostra avaliada.

Dental caries in the primary dentition of a Colombian population according to the ICDAS criteria

“…18,19 When non-cavitated lesions are included in the different socio-economic groups, the untreated caries prevalence rises to 35-97%. 12,13,20,21 These results can also be compared with some early childhood caries prevalence data in this age group, encountered during the last five years in Canada, ranging from 57 to 98%. 22 There are some other studies reporting the use of the ICDAS criteria among 1-to 5-yearold children in a population from Detroit, 23 with an early childhood caries prevalence (ECC) ranging from 30% to 44%, and a caries-free finding of 17%.…”

Cárie precoce: influência de variáveis sócio-comportamentais e do locus de controle da saúde em um grupo de crianças de Araraquara, São Paulo, Brasil

“…Em alguns estudos, a freqüência de escovação foi associada à cárie 22,29 , no entanto, em outros, tal associação também não foi observada 4,33,34,51,52 .…”

Aleitamento materno e cárie do lactente e do pré-escolar: uma revisão crítica

“…Some authors do not present a definition for ECC, 40,64 while others use multiple definitions 12 or their own definitions. 65 As may be observed, most authors did not find a correlation between ECC and breastfeeding or with its duration. 12,[25][26][27]40,[65][66][67][68][69][70] The obtained results often are contradictory and the findings were not always reproduced.…”

“…65 As may be observed, most authors did not find a correlation between ECC and breastfeeding or with its duration. 12,[25][26][27]40,[65][66][67][68][69][70] The obtained results often are contradictory and the findings were not always reproduced. The same was observed by Valaitis et al in a systematic review of 151 articles.…”

“…36,41,44,52,86,87 The prevalence of breastfeeding decreases with age, having very low rates in children aged between 12 and 24 months in Brazil 44 and in the world, 88 in contrast with the prevalence of ECC. 12,27,65,67 The prevalence of ECC has been constant over the years 6,67,73 even with an increase in the world prevalence of breastfeeding 89 and a fourfold increase in its median in the last three decades in Brazil. 90 Preterm and low birthweight infants, who are at great risk for ECC, tend to have a shorter breastfeeding period, 46,91,92 be bottle-fed for longer periods and ingest more sugar.…”