Are distinctive risk indicators associated with different stages of caries in children? A cross-sectional study

Abstract

BackgroundActual caries figures emphasize the need to identify the risk indicators involved in the disease’s development. The hypothesis that certain risk indicators might affect the dynamic evolution of the caries process was assessed; to clarify this premise, a cross-sectional survey was performed in school children.MethodsA total of 390 subjects aged 6–8 years old were randomly selected. Caries was assessed, and the subjects were stratified as follows: i) highest caries score; ii) most prevalent caries score; and iii) number of affected teeth. Parents/guardians completed a questionnaire regarding vital statistics, socio-economic indicators, dietary habits, oral hygiene habits and oral health behaviours.ResultsCaries was detected in 42.31% of the subjects. Maternal nationality, parental education level, use of a sweetened pacifier at night, intake of lactose-free milk and toothbrushing frequency were statistically significant associated (p < 0.05) with subjects stratified according to the highest caries score. Parental educational level, maternal occupational status and use of a sweetened pacifier at night were associated (p < 0.05) with affected children stratified according to the most prevalent caries score. Maternal educational level and intake of lactose-free milk were associated with subjects with moderate caries stages compared to being caries-free (p = 0.01 and p = 0.02, respectively). Maternal nationality (p < 0.01) and toothbrushing frequency (p = 0.01) were associated with subjects affected by extensive lesions compared to caries-free children. In subjects affected by initial lesions as the most prevalent figure, gender (male) and paternal occupation status (unemployed) were statistically significant associated (p = 0.03 and p = 0.04, respectively) compared to those affected by highest prevalence of extensive caries lesions. In children with the highest prevalence of moderate caries lesions, maternal education level (p < 0.01), paternal occupational status (p = 0.03) and use of a sweetened pacifier at night (p < 0.01) were statistically significantly associated.ConclusionsMaternal nationality, maternal low level of education, intake of lactose-free milk and low toothbrushing frequency were involved in the change from caries-free status to different caries stages. Gender, paternal unemployment, maternal low educational level and use of a sweetened pacifier were correlated with caries progression, showing how distinctive risk indicators were associated with different caries stages.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-016-3865-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Overweight/obese children are associated with lower caries experience than normal‐weight children/adolescents

“…Assessment of dental caries also includes the identification of the risk factors involved at the different stages of development of the disease . To evaluate the risk factors for dental caries, we also compared caries risk assessments between NW and OW children, using the standardized model CAMBRA .…”

“…Subjects were also compared according to the maximum caries status (highest ICDAS score recorded) and categorized into: “no caries” (ICDAS 0); “initial” (ICDAS 1‐2); “moderate” (ICDAS 3‐4); and “extensive” (ICDAS 5‐6) …”

Caries in children with lactose intolerance and cow's milk protein allergy

“…In fact, the few epidemiological studies at hand refer to the consumption of soy-based foods 18 and of lactose-free milk. 19 By comparing the results of the present research to those of a study of children without CMPA/LI in government-run schools in Araçatuba, Brazil, in 2010, 27 caries prevalence (67.50%) was higher in this study than the rate (44.70%) obtained for 4-to-6-yearold children in that study.…”

“…Contrastingly, Cagetti et al 19 detected a 42.31% caries prevalence in schoolchildren aged 6-8 years and associated the ingestion of lactose-free milk with moderate caries presence (p = 0.02), benchmarked by the International Caries Assessment and Detection System (ICDAS). Therefore, further epidemiological studies of children with CMPA/LI from different countries and including other samples should be performed to evaluate the different risks for oral disease among these children.…”

“…2,5,8,17 In fact, scanty information is available on the oral conditions of children with CMPA or LI. 18,19 The topic is rarely investigated. The present study analyzes the prevalence and severity of dental caries and the treatment needs of 5-to-8-year-old children with CMPA or LI.…”