Assessing the Association Between Nutritional Status, Caries, and Gingivitis in Schoolchildren: A Cross-Sectional Study

Erosive tooth wear, dental decay, and periodontal health in obese and normal weight children and adolescents

AIM

This study aimed to compare the oral health status between normal weight (NW) and obese weight (OW) children/adolescents.

METHODS

Eighty-two participants aged 6-16 years were included in this cross-sectional study. The children/adolescents were classified according to the body mass index (BMI): NW (n = 41) and OW (n = 41). Caries experience was assessed by the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS-II), decay, missing, filling teeth (dmft) for the primary teeth and (DMFT) for the permanent teeth, erosive tooth wear using Basic Erosive Wear Examination (BEWE), Plaque Index (PI) and Gingival Index (GI), probing depth (PD). Also, the relationship between procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), parathyroid hormone (PTH), and 25(OH)D blood biochemistry and oral health was evaluated in obese children/adolescents.

RESULTS

Evaluation was made of a sum of 82 children/adolescents, comprising 43 females and 39 males, with a median age of 14 years in the obese group and 13 years in the NW group. Significant differences were determined between patients with NW and those who were obese, particularly in BMI, family income level, and tooth brushing habits. The results of the study indicate that individuals with obesity tend to exhibit significantly higher scores for PI, and GI as compared to those with NW (p < .05) CONCLUSION: Oral hygiene in children with systemic diseases should be treated with a multidisciplinary approach and under regular control by a pediatrician and pediatric dentist, as it may also affect the medical health of the children/adolescents.

Relationship Between Body Mass Index (BMI) and Severity of Caries Among Primary School Children: A Scoping Review

The relationship between body mass index (BMI) and the severity of dental caries in children varies significantly across different age groups, with some studies showing favorable associations. At the same time, some found no or inverse links. This review examines the existing literature on the relationship between BMI and the severity of dental caries among primary school children specifically between the ages of six and 12. This review follows the preferred reporting items for scoping reviews (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR)) guidelines. A comprehensive literature search was performed utilizing PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (WoS) to identify relevant studies published in English from January 2015 to June 2024. Studies on primary school children aged six to 12 years old, BMI, and severity of caries were included. Five hundred and seventy-seven articles were screened with 26 meeting the inclusion criteria. The majority of the studies were cross-sectional in design. The study identified a varied association between BMI and dental caries. Further understanding of this relationship can guide the development of preventive strategies and interventions that address childhood disproportionate BMI and dental caries, ultimately enhancing oral health and overall well-being in this population.

The effect of body weight and psychological characteristics on periodontal disease development

The aim of the study was to examine the association between periodontal health in young patients with various body mass indexes and psychological traits such as temperament, level of anxiety, and autonomic nervous system tone.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to Assess Dental Caries, Overweight and Obesity in Schoolchildren in the City of Alfenas, Brazil

Childhood-related obesity and overweight are increasing concerns for the health and well-being of children. Dental caries (decay) is the most prevalent oral disease during childhood, and several studies have suggested that nutritional status and dental caries are associated in children. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the geographic distribution of childhood overweight/obesity and dental caries in a medium-sized Brazilian city. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 269 children of both genders enrolled in four public schools in the city of Alfenas. The children were clinically examined to assess cavitated dental caries and nutritional status (overweight and obesity). In addition, the GIS was used for the geospatial clustering analyses. A heat map was created by the Kemel method to estimate the concentration of the outcomes. The cavitated dental caries and overweight/obesity were also pointed out by dots on the map. However, of the 269 children, 118 were boys (43.87%) and 151 were girls (56.13%). One hundred fifty-seven children (58.4%) were classified as having "non-cavitated caries," while 112 (41.6%) were classified as having "cavitied caries." In the nutritional status assessment, 204 children (75.84%) were classified as "eutrophic," while 65 children (24.16%) were classified as "overweight/obesity," A geographical correlation of dental caries with overweight/obesity may exist in the northeast and southwest areas. In conclusion, a geographical concordance between the dental caries and the occurrence of overweight/obesity among the schoolchildren from Alfenas may exist in some areas. Future studies are necessary.

Nutritional Status is Associated with Permanent Tooth Eruption in a Group of Brazilian School Children

The present study aimed to investigate the association between nutritional status with delayed tooth eruption (DTE). Oral examination was performed in schoolchildren (8-11 years old), and DTE was defined by absence of dental gingival emergence or when primary tooth was still present in the oral cavity after the expected time. BMI z-score of each child were collected and nutritional status was defined. Chi-square test and binary logistic regression adjusted by age and gender were performed. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% Confidence Interval (95% CI) were calculated. The established alpha was 5%. Among 353 included children, 247 were classified as eutrophic, 16 as underweight, 64 as overweight, and 26 as obese. Underweight was associated as a risk factor to DTE (P = .014; OR = 3.5; 95% CI = 1.3-9.8), and underweight girls had more chance to present DTE than eutrophic girls (P = .048; OR = 4.4; 95% CI = 1.1-17.2) in chi square test. In logistic regression, underweight was associated as a risk factor to DTE (OR = 4.21; CI 95% = 1.42-12.43; P = .009). Underweight children have a higher risk of DTE in permanents.