Risk factors of early childhood caries among children in Beijing: a case-control study

Abstract

BackgroundThe prevalence of early childhood caries (ECC) among children in Beijing, China, has been increasing continuously though slowly. However, there is limited information about ECC in Beijing. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors of dental caries among preschool children in Beijing.MethodsFor this case-control study, using a convenience sampling method, 787 children aged 3 and 4 years old were recruited; 386 children with caries constituted the early childhood caries (ECC) group and 401children without caries formed the caries-free (CF) group. Dental caries was diagnosed at the tooth surface level by two calibrated examiners according to the WHO 1997 criteria. A structured questionnaire was filled in by the children’s main guardians. Mutans streptococci in non stimulated saliva and plaque were measured with the Dentocult SM Strip. Negative binomial regression was used for multivariate analysis.ResultsAnalysis of the data showed that level of mutans streptococci in dental plaque and history of dental visit were significantly correlated with the prevalence of caries and the mean dmfs score.ConclusionsHigh level of plaque mutans streptococci is a risk factor for ECC in preschool children in Beijing. And longitudinal studies are needed to identify the causal relationships between the levels of mutans streptococci in dental plaque and caries development.

The prevalence and risk factors of Early Childhood Caries among 3-year-old children in Wenzhou

“…This study showed that the prevalence of dental caries among 3-year olds children in Wenzhou was 59.8%; it was higher than the prevalence of ECC in 3-4 years old in Beijing (49%) [ 8]. On average, the prevalence of dental caries among 3 years old children in China was 50.8% [6].…”

“…Declines in the prevalence of dental caries were observed in the developed countries during last three decades [ 4]. In contrast, because of the easy availability of refined sugars than earlier, compromised dental care and prevention, very few programs to eradicate the disease and poor public knowledge about the disease, dental caries in China has become a new threat and been on the rise [ 5,6,7,8]. The Third National Oral Health Epidemiology Survey reported that the prevalence of caries was 66% and the mean decayed, missing, and filled primary teeth (dmft) score was 3.5 among 5-year-old children in China [ 7].…”

Prevalence of early childhood caries in non-fluoridated rural areas of Chile.

“…Moreover, visible dental plaque is an important predictor of new carious lesions. 9,24,25 Another factor significantly associated with ECC was the type of health insurance coverage. The group categorized as FONASA A had a higher mean dmft index.…”

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“…Similarly, when a child takes a bottle containing milk to bed, milk pools around the teeth and, as there is less saliva flow at night, the milk remains in the mouth, and the lactose is broken down to produce lactic acid. Other behaviours such as parents sampling foods before feeding their child and children sharing utensils also enable transmission of cariogenic bacteria to young children (Fan, Wang, Xu, & Zheng, 2016; Sakai et al, 2008).…”