Socioeconomic Determinants, Maternal Health, and Caries in Young Children

Is Parental Rating of Child's Oral Health Associated with Caries Experience in Children? A Cross-Sectional Study

Aim

The Parents' view to the oral health of their children is a significant factor that can impact oral health practices and behaviors. The aim of this research was to investigate how parental assessment of their child's oral health associates with caries experience in children receiving dental treatment at the hospital of Taibah University Dental College.

Materials and Methods

This cross-sectional study enrolled 127 children who underwent dental treatment at Taibah University Dental College and Hospital during 2020-2021. Dental caries experience was assessed using the dmft/DMFT index, and parental rating of oral health was obtained through a questionnaire. Three logistic regression models were used to assess the correlation between dental caries experience and parental rating of oral health while controlling for sociodemographic and behavioral factors.

Results

Most parents rated the oral health of their child as good (60.4%), followed by excellent (18.8%) and very good (15.6%). The mean dmft/DMFT score was 3.47 ± 3.46, with 43.8% of children having high/very high dental caries experience. Logistic regression analysis showed that children whose parents rated their oral health as poor were more likely to have high/very high dental caries experience compared to those rated as excellent/very good/good/fair (adjusted odds ratio = 4.45, 95% confidence interval 1.23-16.07).

Conclusion

This study suggests a link between parental assessment of their child's oral health and an elevated prevalence of dental caries in children. The study found that children whose parents rated their oral health as suboptimal had higher odds of having high dental caries experience. These findings emphasize the significance of parental perception of their child's oral health and suggest a necessity for customized interventions to enhance parental knowledge and practices concerning children's oral health.

Passive Smoking and Oral Health of Infants, Preschoolers, and Children: A Systematic Review

INTRODUCTION

Almost half of the world's children experience passive smoking, which is linked to numerous oral health conditions. The aim is to synthesize data on the impact of passive smoking on oral health of infants, preschoolers, and children.

AIMS AND METHODS

A search was conducted across Medline (via EBSCOhost), PubMed, and Scopus up to February 2023. Risk of bias was assessed according to the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS).

RESULTS

The initial search produced 1221 records and after removal of duplicates, screening by title and abstract, and full-text assessment, 25 studies were eligible for review and data extraction. The majority of studies (94.4%) found a correlation between passive smoking and increased prevalence of dental caries with three studies suggesting a dose-response relationship. Prenatal passive smoking exposure in 81.8% of studies indicated an increased dental caries experience compared to postnatal exposure. Low parental education, socioeconomic status, dietary habits, oral hygiene, and gender affected the level of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure and dental caries risk.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this systematic review strongly suggest a significant association between dental caries in the deciduous dentition and passive smoking. Early intervention and education on the effects of passive smoking on infants and children will allow for the improvement in oral health outcomes and reduction in smoking-associated systemic conditions. The results justify all health professionals paying more attention to passive smoking when conducting pediatric patient histories, contributing to improved diagnosis and appropriate treatment planning with more suitable follow-up schedules.

IMPLICATIONS

The evidence from this review that environmental tobacco smoke and passive smoking is a risk factor for oral health conditions, both prenatally and postnatally during early childhood, justifies all health professionals paying more attention to passive smoking when conducting pediatric patient histories. Early intervention and appropriate parental education regarding the effects of secondhand smoke on infants and children will allow for the minimization of dental caries, improvement in oral health outcomes and overall reduction in smoking-associated systemic conditions for the children exposed.

Fewer Children in Families Associated with Lower Odds of Early Childhood Caries: A Sample from Three Countries

Childhood caries experience is influenced by family characteristics and oral health practices in the context of many social-commercial determinants. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between families' number of children, oral health practices and child caries experience in a convenience sample of 1374 children aged 6 months through 6 years and their families from Ecuador, Nepal, and Vietnam. Data were collected by mother interviews and child dental exams. Multivariate logistic and Zero-Inflated-Poisson regression analyses assessed associations between number of children, oral health practices and decayed, missing or filled teeth (dmft). Families had a mean of 2.2 children (range 1-12); 72% of children had tooth decay, with mean dmft of 5.4. Adjusting for child age, sex, and urban/rural location, a greater number of children in the family was associated with significantly less likelihood of unhealthy bottle feeding practices, having a toothbrush/toothpaste and parent helping child brush, and being cavity-free; higher number of dmft, and greater likelihood of having a dental visit. Early childhood oral health promotion should include focus on oral hygiene and healthy feeding-particularly breastfeeding and healthy bottle feeding practices-as well as access to family planning services and support for childcare.

Early Childhood Caries in a Preschool-based Sample in Northeast Italy: Socioeconomic Status and Behavioral Risk Factors

Aim

To assess the relationship among caries and age, gender, immigrant condition, socioeconomic status (SES), and a behavioral risk factor (toothbrushing) in a sample of 3-5-year-old children.

Materials and methods

We performed a random cross-sectional survey from January to December 2017, carrying out clinical examinations to estimate the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft) score. Parents filled in a questionnaire reporting their education level (SES) and the daily frequency of children's toothbrushing. The multivariate analysis assessed the association between caries occurrence and the independent variables. The dmft score was assessed by zero-inflated negative binomial regression (ZINBR).

Results

Out of 1,441 children in the sample, 357 (26.0%) presented at least one caries-affected tooth. Caries risk significantly increased with age and irregular toothbrushing, and it was significantly higher in children with lower SES levels. We modeled caries risk by means of ZINBR. The degree of caries experience increased in children from lower SES positions, immigrant status, and of older age; regular toothbrushing (twice a day) is a predicting factor to belong to the "zero caries" group.

Conclusion

Dental caries represent a significant burden in preschool children and can be regarded as an early marker of social disadvantage.

Clinical significance

The confirmation of the earliest preventive approach as the only chance to grant a "caries free" dentition in all ages and the first target for a pediatric dentist.

How to cite this article

Ferro R, Besostri A, Olivieri A, et al. Early Childhood Caries in a Preschool-based Sample in Northeast Italy: Socioeconomic Status and Behavioral Risk Factors. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2022;15(6):717-723.

Access to information on oral hygiene and mothers' practices of children with microcephaly caused by Zika virus

OBJECTIVE

To verify whether access to information about oral hygiene influenced the practices of caregivers of children with microcephaly caused by Zika virus (ZIKV).

METHODS

A case series study was developed at the Mens Sana Rehabilitation Center, in the municipality of Arcoverde, Pernambuco, Brazil. The study universe included the mothers of 32 children with microcephaly caused by Zika virus. Data collection took place in the month of June 2018 and was carried out through a structured questionnaire. The variables studied comprised socioeconomic issues, habits, diet and knowledge about oral hygiene. Fisher's Exact and Pearson's Chi-square tests were used with a significance level of 5%.

RESULTS

Out of 32 individuals eligible to participate in the study, only 27 were selected. Most mothers reported receiving information about oral hygiene from their infants (63.0%). Fisher's Exact and Pearson's Chi-square tests showed that access to oral hygiene information was associated with mother's education, family income, regular visits to the dentist, frequency of tooth brushing, age at which the infant started brushing, and brushing time (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Access to information about oral hygiene positively influenced the oral health care of mothers with their children with microcephaly caused by ZIKV.

Comparative inequalities in child dental caries across four countries: Examination of international birth cohorts and implications for oral health policy

Child dental caries (i.e., cavities) are a major preventable health problem in most high-income countries. The aim of this study was to compare the extent of inequalities in child dental caries across four high-income countries alongside their child oral health policies. Coordinated analyses of data were conducted across four prospective population-based birth cohorts (Australia, n = 4085, born 2004; Québec, Canada, n = 1253, born 1997; Rotterdam, the Netherlands, n = 6690, born 2002; Southeast Sweden, n = 7445, born 1997), which enabled a high degree of harmonization. Risk ratios (adjusted) and slope indexes of inequality were estimated to quantify social gradients in child dental caries according to maternal education and household income. Children in the least advantaged quintile for income were at greater risk of caries, compared to the most advantaged quintile: Australia: AdjRR = 1.18, 95%CI = 1.04–1.34; Québec: AdjRR = 1.69, 95%CI = 1.36–2.10; Rotterdam: AdjRR = 1.67, 95%CI = 1.36–2.04; Southeast Sweden: AdjRR = 1.37, 95%CI = 1.10–1.71). There was a higher risk of caries for children of mothers with the lowest level of education, compared to the highest: Australia: AdjRR = 1.18, 95%CI = 1.01–1.38; Southeast Sweden: AdjRR = 2.31, 95%CI = 1.81–2.96; Rotterdam: AdjRR = 1.98, 95%CI = 1.71–2.30; Québec: AdjRR = 1.16, 95%CI = 0.98–1.37. The extent of inequalities varied in line with jurisdictional policies for provision of child oral health services and preventive public health measures. Clear gradients of social inequalities in child dental caries are evident in high-income countries. Policy related mechanisms may contribute to the differences in the extent of these inequalities. Lesser gradients in settings with combinations of universal dental coverage and/or fluoridation suggest these provisions may ameliorate inequalities through additional benefits for socio-economically disadvantaged groups of children.

Acculturation and 4-year caries increment among children of foreign-born mothers in Sweden: a register-based cohort study

Background

To study the association of maternal age upon arrival and length of residence in Sweden with the 4-year caries increment in their children between ages 3 and 7 years in relation to the human development index (HDI) of the maternal country of origin.

Method

This registry-based cohort study included all children born in 2000–2003 who resided in Stockholm County, Sweden, at age 3 years and who were followed up at age 7 (n = 63,931). Negative binomial regressions were used to analyze different models adjusted for sociodemographic factors.

Results

Children of foreign-born mothers, regardless of the HDI of the maternal country of origin, had a higher risk of caries increment between ages 3 and 7 years than children of Swedish-born mothers. Furthermore, children of mothers who had arrived from a low or medium HDI country had a lower caries increment if their mothers arrived before age 7 compared with after age 7. Nearly half (44%) of the children whose mothers arrived in Sweden at age ≥ 20 years from a low HDI country had a caries increment compared to 22% of the children whose mothers had arrived in Sweden before 7 years of age. Furthermore, children whose mothers were born in a low HDI country and had resided in Sweden ≤ 19 years had approximately 1.5 times higher risk of caries increment compared to children of mothers who had resided in Sweden for more than 20 years.

Conclusions

Caries increment in the children of foreign-born mothers was associated with the age of their mother when she arrived in Sweden and was lower when the mother had arrived before age 7 years. This indicates an intergenerational effect that carries over to the children and is greater the longer the mother has participated in Swedish dental healthcare.

Scoping Review of Oral Health-Related Birth Cohort Studies: Toward a Global Consortium

The multidisciplinary nature and long duration of birth cohort studies allow investigation of the relationship between general and oral health and indicate the most appropriate stages in life to intervene. To date, the worldwide distribution of oral health-related birth cohort studies (OHRBCSs) has not been mapped, and a synthesis of information on methodological characteristics and outcomes is not available. We mapped published literature on OHRBCSs, describing their oral health-related data and methodological aspects. A 3-step search strategy was adopted to identify published studies using PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and OVID databases. Studies with baseline data collection during pregnancy or within the first year of life or linked future oral health data to exposures during either of these 2 life stages were included. Studies examining only mothers' oral health and specific populations were excluded. In total, 1,721 articles were suitable for initial screening of titles and abstracts, and 528 articles were included in the review, identifying 120 unique OHRBCSs from 34 countries in all continents. The review comprised literature from the mid-1940s to the 21st century. Fifty-four percent of the OHRBCSs started from 2000 onward, and 75% of the cohorts were from high-income and only 2 from low-income countries. The participation rate between the baseline and the last oral health follow-up varied between 7% and 93%. Ten cohorts that included interventions were mostly from 2000 and with fewer than 1,000 participants. Seven data-linkage cohorts focused mostly on upstream characteristics and biological aspects. The most frequent clinical assessment was dental caries, widely presented as decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT/dmft). Periodontal conditions were primarily applied as isolated outcomes or as part of a classification system. Socioeconomic classification, ethnicity, and country- or language-specific assessment tools varied across countries. Harmonizing definitions will allow combining data from different studies, adding considerable strength to data analyses; this will be facilitated by forming a global consortium.

Nomogram prediction of caries risk among schoolchildren age 7 years based on a cohort study in Shanghai

Objective

Caries risk assessment tools are essential for identifying and providing treatment for individuals at high risk of developing caries. We aimed to develop a nomogram for the assessment and evaluation of caries risk among Chinese children.

Methods

We enrolled schoolchildren age 7 years from a primary school in Shanghai. Baseline information of participants was collected using a questionnaire completed by children’s caregivers. A nomogram of a novel prediction scoring model was established based on predictors detected in univariate and multivariate analyses. Predictive accuracy and discriminative ability of the nomogram were calculated using the concordance index (C index). The bootstrap method (1000 samples) was used to decrease overfitting. The net benefit of the model was validated using decision curve analysis.

Results

Overall, 406 children with complete information and two completed dental examinations were included in the final analysis. The nomogram based on logistic regression model coefficients demonstrated a C index of 0.766 (95% confidence interval: 0.761–0.771) for caries risk. The net benefit of the decision curve analysis was 38.6% at 55% threshold probability.

Conclusion

This nomogram model, derived using dietary habits, oral hygiene status, and caries experience, showed promising predictive ability to assess the caries risk among Chinese children.

V, Bhole S. Diet, Nutrition, and Oral Health: What Influences Mother's Decisions on What to Feed Their Young Children?

The purpose of this study was to learn about mothers' experiences with food choices for their pre-school children in underprivileged communities in Greater Western Sydney (GWS). A total of 20 mother-child dyads living in GWS were recruited to a qualitative study from an ongoing birth cohort study. Participants' houses were visited for semi-structured interviews, which were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed thematically. The interviews yielded five main themes: (i) food choices, nutrition, and health; (ii) accessibility and availability of foods (iii) buying time for parents; (iv) child's age and their preference on food choices; (v) conditioning certain behaviours by family and cultural factors. Nutrition literacy, child's preferences, unhealthy food intake by family members, child's demand, advertising and availability of harmful foods, and time constraints were all mentioned as hurdles to mothers making appropriate meal choices for their children. However, some identified facilitators were promoting parents' knowledge, increasing access to health educational materials, upskilling mothers to providing healthier alternatives, regulating the marketing of unhealth foods. Although, the present study identified critical factors that influence mothers' food choices for their young children, making healthy food choices is a complex practice as it is shaped by individual, social and environmental influences.

Development level of the country of parental origin on dental caries in children of immigrant parents in Sweden

AIM

To study the association of parental country of origin-expressed as low-, medium- and high-Human Development Index (HDI) countries-with caries experience in children of immigrant families in Stockholm.

METHODS

This registry-based cohort study included all children born in 2000-2003 who resided in Stockholm County, Sweden, at age 3 years (n = 83,147) with follow-up at 7 years of age. A logistic regression was performed for the multivariate analysis with adjustments for socio-demographic factors.

RESULTS

After adjustments, logistic regression analyses revealed that, compared with Swedish children of the same age, the risk of caries was highest when the immigrant parents originated in a medium (OR 4.22 (95% CI 3.99:4.47)) or low (OR 2.80 (95% CI 2.56:3.06)) income country background at age 7 years, but was increased also for high-income country background, OR 1.77 (95% CI 1.52-2.05). Furthermore, the risk of presenting with caries experience at age 7 years increased for all children in the 1^st (lowest) household income quintile in the host country Sweden.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that the developmental level of the parental country of birth as well as the family socioeconomic position in Sweden influence the risk for caries development in their children.

Correlation Between Maternal Smoking During Pregnancy and Dental Caries in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Dental caries is a long-standing oral health problem for children all over the world. The available evidence shows that the association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and childhood caries is still controversial. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine whether there was a correlation of prenatal smoking and dental caries in children.

Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were searched for observational studies assessing the relationship between maternal smoking during the pregnancy and childhood caries. According to the predesigned eligibility criteria and items, studies selection, and data extraction were conducted, respectively. The effect estimates were pooled using a fixed-effect model or a random-effect model. Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was adopted to evaluate the methodological quality of the included studies. All analyses were carried out through Stata 12.0 software.

Results: Our systematic review included a total of 11 studies, of which 6 cross-sectional studies and 3 longitudinal studies were included in the final meta-analysis. The pooled estimates indicated maternal smoking during pregnancy was significantly associated with dental caries in children both in cross-sectional studies (OR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.47–1.67) and longitudinal studies (RR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.07–1.48). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the overall effect estimates were robust.

Conclusions: There is a significant correlation of maternal smoking during pregnancy and childhood caries. However, the causal relationship between them cannot be determined. More prospective and extensive studies on this theme is needed for verification. Even so, it is necessary for pregnant women and women of reproductive age to quit smoking. Strategies must be developed to raise public awareness about the impact of prenatal smoking on children's oral health.

Development of dental caries and risk factors between 1 and 7 years of age in areas of high risk for dental caries in Stockholm, Sweden

Purpose

To explore caries predictors at age 1 year and caries development at ages 5 and 7 years in two groups of children following different fluoride-based preventive programs.

Methods

We conducted a prospective cluster-randomized controlled intervention trial with two parallel arms comparing two prevention programs: one program included fluoride varnish applications every 6 months, the other did not; otherwise, the programs were the same. Participants were 1- and 3-year-old children enrolled at 23 dental clinics in high-risk areas in Stockholm, Sweden. The baseline examination included structured interviews. Caries data were extracted from dental records. The primary outcome measures were ICDAS 1–6 > 0 at baseline (age 1 year) and defs > 0 at ages 2, 3, 5, and 7 years. The secondary outcome measure at age 7 was DFS > 0.

Results

Continuous caries development occurred: defs > 0 in 23% at 5 years and in 42% at 7 years. We found no difference in caries development between children who had or had not received fluoride varnish as toddlers. At age 1-year, significant predictors for dental caries in later preschool years were immigrant background, family income, and sweets consumption. Fluoride toothpaste > once a day at 1 year had an OR < 1 for defs > 0 at 5- and 7 years.

Conclusions

For toddlers, fluoride varnish does not seem to be an adequate prevention tool. Brushing with fluoride toothpaste from 1 year of age could not arrest caries development. Immigrant background was the strongest predictor. A new toolbox as well as collaborative upstream actions for reducing free-sugar intake are needed.

Relationship between preterm, low birth weight and early childhood caries: a meta-analysis of the case-control and cross-sectional study

Early childhood caries (ECC) is one of the most prevalent chronic infectious diseases in children. The effective prevention and treatment are heavy burdens and study hotspots for pediatric dentists. Many studies had investigated the relationship between preterm, low birth weight (LBW) and ECC; however, the results were inconsistent. The present study was conducted with an evidence-based study to figure out the relationship between preterm, LBW and ECC for the first time. After searching the database, case–control and cross-sectional studies relevant to the relationship between preterm, LBW and ECC up to December 2019 were included. The data about odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were extracted and calculated with STATA 14.0 Software. A total of 22 studies were included in this meta-analysis, 9 studies of which did not only explore the relationship between ECC with preterm, but also study the relationship between ECC and LBW, 7 studies of which explored the relationship between preterm and ECC, and 6 studies of which studied the relationship between LBW and ECC. The meta-analysis results showed that the preterm increased the risk of ECC (OR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.36–1.87) significantly. There was no difference between LBW and normal birth weight in the incidence of ECC (OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 0.94–1.33). The meta-analysis results of adjustment OR about LBW were similar to the crude OR (OR = 1.05, 95% CI: 0.71–1.57). This meta-analysis indicated that preterm increased the risk of ECC significantly; however, LBW was not a risk factor for ECC.

Early childhood caries risk assessment in 1-year-olds evaluated at 6-years of age

OBJECTIVES

The aim was to identify caries risk factors in 1-year-olds predicting dentine caries in 6-year-olds.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Caries risk assessment was performed in 804 one-year-olds. Their parents answered a questionnaire, regarding family factors, general health, food habits and oral hygiene. Clinical examinations and caries risk assessments at 1, 3 and 6 years of age were performed. Simple and multiple regression analyses were used for identification of caries-associated factors.

RESULTS

Caries risk was found in 5% of the 1-year-olds, and 12% of the 3-year-olds. Dentine caries was found in 3% of the 3-year-olds and in 16% of the 6-year-olds. Caries risk assessment was associated with caries at 6 years of age (OR = 5.1, p < .001). Multiple logistic regression analysis found the following variables associated with caries at 6 years of age: Caries in sibling (OR = 2.1, p = .012), Beverage other than water (OR = 2.1, p < .001), Night meal (OR = 1.9, p = .002), Presence of mutans streptococci (MS) (OR = 1.6, p = .033) and Male gender (OR = 1.5, p = .053). An overall caries risk assessment was more reliable than any single caries risk factor.

CONCLUSIONS

Caries risk assessment for 1-year-olds in a region with low caries prevalence has limited accuracy to predict dental caries at 6 years of age. Caries risk often changes over time and should be reassessed on a regularly basis. The presence of MS in 1-year-olds did not increase the prognostic accuracy at 6 years of age.

Impact of an extended postnatal home visiting programme on oral health among children in a disadvantaged area of Stockholm, Sweden

AIM

To evaluate oral health outcomes and early oral health promotion of children in a Swedish, parental support programme conducted in a collaboration between Child Health Services and Social Services.

METHODS

The intervention offered first-time parents six home visits from a paediatric nurse and a parental advisor with Social Services. On the fourth visit (infant age 6-8 months), parents received a toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste from non-dental staff. Twice, at child ages 18 and 36 months, a dentist used the International Caries Detection and Assessment System to record caries and conducted a structured interview with the parents on oral health habits. The intervention group (n = 72) was compared to a reference group (n = 100) from the standard child healthcare programme, which included one home visit.

RESULTS

Significantly, caries prevalence was lower and tooth brushing habits more consistent in the intervention group compared to the reference group in the standard child health programme. The difference was most pronounced at 18 months and had decreased at the 36-month follow-up.

CONCLUSION

The extended postnatal home visiting programme had a positive impact on oral health. Early oral health promotion delivered by non-dental professionals could be a beneficial approach to early caries prevention.

Important aspects of conducting an interdisciplinary public preventive oral health project for children in areas with low socioeconomic status: staff perspective

Background

To achieve good and equal oral health in children, interdisciplinary preventive oral health actions, directed toward disadvantaged areas, can be an important means. Staff play a crucial role in the implementation of these actions. The aim of the present study was to analyze circumstances of importance for conducting an interdisciplinary public preventive oral health project for children, directed toward parents in areas with low socioeconomic status from the interdisciplinary perspective of the involved staff.

Method

The present study consisted of a qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach, based on interviews with interdisciplinary staff who had participated in a public preventive oral health project directed toward parents in areas with low socioeconomic status. The interviews were analyzed using text-driven analysis.

Results

The main category concerned the staff members’ prerequisites and understanding necessary to perform their tasks in interdisciplinary public preventive oral health project. To have the right prerequisites and understanding regarding the oral health project enabled staff to be committed, able and willing to perform in it. Important aspects of this are to have knowledge, motivation and to experience a supportive professional context, to have good leadership and for certain resources to fulfilled. A crucial aspect was to reach the targeted mothers.

Conclusions

For interdisciplinary cooperation in preventive oral health care to be achieved, it is essential for the involved disciplines and professions to embrace a common view on the project’s aim, their duties, and oral health, from the leadership to the individual level. Staff require competent leadership but also allocated time and adapted method support to be successful in this context. When allocating preventive health actions directed at low SES areas, it is important to acknowledge the risk of stigmatization and for staff to understand that families might be facing social challenges that prevent them from taking part in health-promoting actions. An important conclusion is that to be able to reach people, it is important for both those who design preventive programs for oral health and the staff who administer them to have sufficient knowledge about the target group.

Evaluation of a national complex oral health improvement programme: a population data linkage cohort study in Scotland

OBJECTIVES

Child dental caries is a global public health challenge with high prevalence and wide inequalities. A complex public health programme (Childsmile) was established. We aimed to evaluate the reach of the programme and its impact on child oral health.

SETTING

Education, health and community settings, Scotland-wide.

INTERVENTIONS

Childsmile (national oral health improvement programme) interventions: nursery-based fluoride varnish applications (FVAs) and supervised daily toothbrushing, community-based Dental Health Support Worker (DHSW) contacts and primary care dental practice visits-delivered to the population via a proportionate universal approach.

PARTICIPANTS

50 379 children (mean age=5.5 years, SD=0.3) attending local authority schools (2014/2015).

DESIGN

Population-based individual child-level data on four Childsmile interventions linked to dental inspection survey data to form a longitudinal cohort. Logistic regression assessed intervention reach and the independent impact of each intervention on caries experience, adjusting for age, sex and area-based Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD).

OUTCOME MEASURES

Reach of the programme is defined as the percentage of children receiving each intervention at least once by SIMD fifth. Obvious dental caries experience (presence/absence) is defined as the presence of decay (into dentine), missing (extracted) due to decay or filled deciduous teeth.

RESULTS

15 032 (29.8%) children had caries experience. The universal interventions had high population reach: nursery toothbrushing (89.1%), dental practice visits (70.5%). The targeted interventions strongly favoured children from the most deprived areas: DHSW contacts (SIMD 1: 29.5% vs SIMD 5: 7.7%), nursery FVAs (SIMD 1: 75.2% vs SIMD 5: 23.2%). Odds of caries experience were markedly lower among children participating in nursery toothbrushing (>3 years, adjusted OR (aOR)=0.60; 95% CI 0.55 to 0.66) and attending dental practice (≥6 visits, aOR=0.55; 95% CI 0.50 to 0.61). The findings were less clear for DHSW contacts. Nursery FVAs were not independently associated with caries experience.

CONCLUSIONS

The universal interventions, nursery toothbrushing and regular dental practice visits were independently and most strongly associated with reduced odds of caries experience in the cohort, with nursery toothbrushing having the greatest impact among children in areas of high deprivation.

U-shaped association between maternal age at delivery and dental caries in offspring

OBJECTIVE

To determine the association between maternal age at delivery and caries in offspring.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This registry-based cohort study included all children born between 2000 and 2003 and who were residing in Stockholm County, Sweden, at 7 years of age. Between 2007 and 2010, the cohort (n = 65,259) was examined to determine caries experience (deft scores) at 7 years of age. Age of mother at childbirth was retrieved from the patient histories. Data were analysed using linear regressions.

RESULTS

The lowest mean deft occurred in children born to mothers aged 25-34 years. The final model - adjusted for sex, income, educational level, migration background, family situation, smoking, obesity, small for gestational age, and number of siblings - found that young mothers and older mothers were significant risk indicators for caries experience at 7 years of age.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study found a U-shaped relationship between maternal age at childbirth and caries experience in the offspring at age 7 years. The offspring of mothers under 25 or over 34 years of age are at greater risk of having more teeth with caries experience.

Are Australian parents following feeding guidelines that will reduce their child's risk of dental caries?

BACKGROUND

Early childhood is an important time to establish eating behaviours and taste preferences, and there is strong evidence of the association between the early introduction of sugar-sweetened beverages and obesity and dental caries (tooth decay). Dental caries early in life predicts lifetime caries experience, and worldwide expenditure for dental caries is high.

METHODS

Questionnaire data from the Splash! longitudinal birth cohort study of young children in Victoria, Australia was used to examine beverage consumption and parental feeding behaviours of young children, aiming to provide contemporary dietary data and assess consistency with the Australian dietary guidelines.

RESULTS

From 12 months of age, the proportion of children drinking sugar-sweetened beverages consistently increased with age (e.g. fruit juice consumed by 21.8% at 12 months and 76.7% at 4 years of age). However, the most common beverages for young children are milk and water, consistent with Australian dietary guidelines. In relation to other risk factors for dental caries, at 6 months of age children were sharing utensils, and at 12 months three quarters of carers tasted the child's food before feeding.

CONCLUSIONS

The increasing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and prevalence of other risk factors for dental caries and obesity through early childhood continues to be a problem despite efforts to raise awareness of these issues with parents.

Review on the role of socioeconomic status in child health and development

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review presents findings from recent studies investigating the role of socioeconomic status (SES) in child development. Studies on associations between SES and different parameters of physical and psychological health, on interventions and possible resilience factors are reviewed.

RECENT FINDINGS

Several cross-sectional and longitudinal studies demonstrate social disparities in child behavior and health. They underline the detrimental effects of low SES on child development. Some studies also highlight the potentially adverse effects of early diseases or vulnerabilities on later career and social position. Whereas most studies applied parent-based measures of SES, some studies emphasize the significance of child-based (e.g. perceived social position) and area-level indicators of SES (e.g. area deprivation). With respect to intervention, study findings suggest positive effects of programs aiming to improve specific neighborhood characteristics and psychosocial functioning of individuals.

SUMMARY

The relation between SES and health is bidirectional and stable, and the effects of interventions aiming at changing behaviors of children and families with low SES are small. There is a need for further center-based and area-level interventions and studies evaluating the effects of these interventions.

Women's economic empowerment, participation in decision-making and exposure to violence as risk indicators for early childhood caries

Objectives

In view of the association between early childhood caries (ECC])and maternal social risk factors, this study tried to determine if there were associations between indicators of processes, outputs and outcomes of women’s empowerment, and the prevalence of ECC.

Methods

In this ecological study, indicators measuring the explanatory variables - economic empowerment, decision-making and violence against women - were selected from the Integrated Results and Resources Framework of the UN-Women Strategic Plan 2018–2021 and WHO database. Indicators measuring the outcome variables - the prevalence of ECC for children aged 0 to 2 years, and 3 to 5 years - were extracted from a published literature. The general linear models used to determine the association between the outcome and explanatory variables were adjusted for economic level of countries. Regression estimates (B), 95% confidence intervals and partial eta squared (η²) were calculated.

Results

Countries with more females living under 50% of median income had higher prevalence of ECC for 3 to 5-year olds (B = 1.82, 95% CI = 0.12, 3.52). Countries with higher percentage of women participating in their own health care decisions had higher prevalence of ECC for 0 to 2-year-olds (B = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.03, 1.67). Countries with higher percentage of women participating in decisions related to visiting family, relatives and friends had higher prevalence of ECC for 3 to 5-year-olds (B = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.03, 1.32). None of the indicators for violence against women was significantly associated with the prevalence of ECC.

Conclusion

Empowerment of women is a welcome social development that may have some negative impact on children’s oral health. Changes in policies and norms are needed to protect children’s oral health while empowering women.

Birth order is associated with caries development in young children: a register-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

Birth order has been shown to affect the health of the child; less is known, however, about how birth order affects caries development in children. Thus, the present study investigated the association between birth order and dental caries development in young children.

METHODS

This retrospective registry-based cohort study included all children born in 2000-2003 who were residing in Stockholm County, Sweden, at age 3 years (n = 83,147). The study followed the cohort until subjects reached 7 years of age. Children with registry data on dental examinations and sociodemographic characteristics at ages 3- and 7 years constituted the final study cohort (n = 65,259). The outcome variable was "caries increment from age 3- to 7 years" (Δdeft > 0) and the key exposure, "birth order", was divided into five groups. A forward stepwise logistic binary regression was done for the multivariate analysis with adjustments for sociodemographic factors.

RESULTS

At age 3 years, 94% had no fillings or manifest caries lesions. During the study period, 22.5% (n = 14,711) developed dental caries. The final logistic regression analysis found a statistically significant positive association between birth order and caries increment. Further, excess risk increased with higher birth order; with the mother's first-born child as reference, risk for the second-born child was OR 1.17, 95% CI = 1.12-1.23; for the third-born child, OR 1.47, 95% CI = 1.38-1.56; for the fourth-born child, OR 1.69, 95% CI = 1.52-1.88; and for the fifth-born or higher birth-order child, OR 1.84, 95% CI = 1.58-2.14.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings show that birth order influences caries development in siblings, suggesting that birth order can be regarded as a predictor for caries development in young children. This factor may be helpful in assessing caries risk in preschool children and should be considered in caries prevention work in young children with older siblings.

Dental caries is associated with lower respiratory tract infections: A population-based cohort study

INTRODUCTION

Dental caries and respiratory tract infections are among the most common infectious diseases worldwide and they both are appearing in the respiratory system. However, their relations are still unclear. This study investigated the association of dental caries on the risk of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) in young adulthood.

METHODS

The study population consisted of 1,592 Finnish young adults participating in the 20-year follow-up of The Espoo Cohort Study. The information on the occurrence of LRTIs (pneumonia or acute bronchitis) during the preceding 12 months was based on the follow-up questionnaire and the National Hospital Discharge Register. Lifelong caries on permanent teeth was defined as a self-reported number of filled teeth (FT). The risk ratios (RR) of LRTIs with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using Poisson regression models.

RESULTS

High FT number was associated with an increased occurrence of LRTIs with an adjusted RR of 1.24 per interquartile range (IQR) of FT (95% CI 1.06-1.44). The risk of LRTIs increased according to the increasing number of FTs, being highest among those subjects with 10 or more filled teeth (adjusted RR 2.30; 1.27-4.17). Family's socioeconomic status or smoking did not modify the effect.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that dental caries increases the risk of LRTIs. We did not find any significant effect modification by shared determinants of caries and LRTIs. However, it is possible, that common risk factors might explain at least partly the observed relation between FT and LRTIs or that the causality is bidirectional.