Bacterial, behavioral and environmental factors associated with early childhood caries

2003 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Ramos-Gomez ◽  
Jane Weintraub ◽  
Stuart Gansky ◽  
Charles Hoover ◽  
John Featherstone

The goals of this cross-sectional study were to characterize and compare demographic, behavioral, and environmental factors potentially associated with early childhood caries (ECC) and to assess salivary levels of mutans streptococci (MS) and lactobacilli (LB) in underserved, predominantly Hispanic children. One hundred forty-six children aged 3 to 55 months with a range of caries experience were identified and examined. ECC was primarily associated with the presence of MS and lack of access to dental care. Salivary MS levels among young children with ECC were higher than would be expected in a dentally healthy population, but lower than levels reported among older children at high risk for caries.After adjustment for age, children with log10 MS ≥ 3.0 or log10 LB ≥ 1.5 were about five times as likely (OR=4.9, 95%CI=2.0,12.0) to have ECC than those with lower bacterial levels. This study demonstrated a significant association between relatively low cariogenic bacterial levels and dental caries in infants and toddlers. Antibiotic use, exposure to lead, and anemia were not significantly associated with the number of decayed and filled surfaces or decayed and filled teeth. ECC correlated significantly with child's age and lack of dental insurance of the children, as well as inversely with both family income and the educational level of the mother of the child.

2014 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zerrin Abbasoğlu ◽  
İlknur Tanboğa ◽  
Erika Calvano Küchler ◽  
Kathleen Deeley ◽  
Megan Weber ◽  
...  

Early childhood caries (ECC) is a chronic, infectious disease that affects the primary dentition of young children. It is the result of an imbalance of risk factors and protective factors that influence the disease. The aim of this study was to assess genetic and environmental factors that may contribute to ECC. Two hundred and fifty-nine unrelated children were evaluated using a cross-sectional design. Data on oral habits were obtained through a questionnaire, and caries experience data were collected by clinical examination. Twenty-three markers in 10 genes were studied. Genotyping of the selected polymorphisms was carried out by real-time PCR. Regression analyses were performed comparing individuals with and without caries experience. Of 259 subjects, 123 were caries free. The genotype TT in ALOX15 (rs7217186) was a risk factor for ECC, whereas the genotypes GG in ENAM (rs1264848), AG and GG in KLK4 (rs198968), CT in LTF (rs4547741), and GG in TUFT1 (rs3790506) were protective for EEC. In conclusion, environmental factors and gene interactions can act as protective or risk factors for ECC. These factors together contribute to the presence and severity of the disease.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manjunath P Puranik ◽  
Deepa Bullappa ◽  
KR Sowmya ◽  
T Nagarathnamma

ABSTRACT Introduction Early childhood caries (ECC) is a virulent form of dental caries that can destroy the primary dentition of toddlers and preschool children. The aim was to determine the relationship of feeding methods and oral Streptococcus mutans count in 3- to 5-year-old children with ECC. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in children aged 3 to 5 years. Participating mothers were interviewed regarding child's demographic profile, educational level and socioeconomic status of parents, past medical and dental history of the mother and child, child's feeding habits, and dietary habits and oral hygiene practices of mother and child. Clinical examination for dental caries was done using the World Health Organization criteria (1997). Salivary samples of mother–child pair were collected to determine the pH, flow rate, and S. mutans count. Statistical tests, such as Student's t-test, analysis of variance, and Pearson's correlation were applied. Results Out of 150 mother–child pair, statistically significant difference in the caries experience was found between mothers and children with high and low S. mutans count. Moderate but statistically significant negative correlation was found between mean decayed, missing, and filled teeth of mothers and mean decayed, extracted and filled teeth (deft) of children with high S. mutans count. Regarding deft, there was no statistically significant difference between children who were exclusively breast fed (7.85 ± 2.94), exclusively bottle-fed (8.67 ± 3.98), and both breast and bottle-fed (7.77 ± 2.91). Conclusion The mean caries experience of mothers and children was 2.66 ± 2.01 and 7.82 ± 2.94 respectively, with decayed component being maximum. Moderate and significant correlation (r = 0.5) was found between S. mutans of mothers and children in saliva. Significant negative correlation was found between mothers and children with high S. mutans count (r = –0.0284; p = 0.046). How to cite this article Bullappa D, Puranik MP, Sowmya KR, Nagarathnamma T. Association of Feeding Methods and Streptococcus mutans Count with Early Childhood Caries: A Cross-sectional Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2017;10(2):119-125.


Author(s):  
Karina Ferreira Rizzardi ◽  
Claudia Maria dos Santos Pereira Indiani ◽  
Renata de Oliveira Mattos-Graner ◽  
Emerson Tavares de Sousa ◽  
Marinês Nobre-dos-Santos ◽  
...  

The present cross-sectional study investigated whether Firmicutes (F) and Bacteroidetes (B) levels in the mouth reflected the gut condition in obesity and early childhood caries (ECC). Eighty preschoolers (3-5 years) were equally assigned into four groups: 1. obese + ECC, 2. obese + caries-free (CF), 3. eutrophic + ECC, and 4. eutrophic + CF. Nutritional status and ECC were assessed based on the WHO criteria. Dental biofilm and fecal samples were collected for F and B quantification using RT-PCR analysis. Data were evaluated using three-way-ANOVA and Pearson’s correlation (α = 0.05). Regardless of the anatomical location effect (p = 0.22), there were higher values for F in the obese children + ECC compared with those in obese + caries-free (CF) in both mouth and gut (p < 0.05). The correlation for F at these sites was negative in obese children + ECC (r = −0.48; p = 0.03) and positive in obese children + CF (r=0.50; p = 0.03). Bacteroidetes were influenced by ECC (p = 0.03) and the anatomical location (p = 0.00), and the levels tended to be higher in the mouth of the obese children + ECC (p = 0.04). The F/B ratio was higher in the gut and was affected by the anatomical location (p = 0.00). This preliminary study suggested that modulated by ECC, counts of oral Firmicutes reflected corresponding condition in the gut of obese preschoolers. In addition, we first evidenced that the Firmicutes phylum behave differently according to the nutritional status and caries experience and that supragingival biofilm and gut could share levels of similarity.


2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 333-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zerrin Abbasoğlu ◽  
Diego G. Bussaneli ◽  
İlknur Tanboğa ◽  
Indiara W. Henn ◽  
Adriana Modesto ◽  
...  

Early childhood caries (ECC) is a chronic, infectious disease that affects the primary dentition of young children. It is the result of unequal contributions of risk factors and protective factors that influence the disease. The aim of this study was to assess if the X chromosome region previously linked to caries was associated with ECC. Two hundred and fifty-nine unrelated children with no chronic illnesses from 2 to 5 years of age who had no systemic fluoride consumption were evaluated using a cross-sectional design. Data on oral habits were obtained through a questionnaire, and caries experience data were collected by clinical examination. Twenty-three markers in ten genes were studied. Genotyping of the selected polymorphisms was carried out by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Regression analyses were performed comparing individuals with and without caries experience. Of 259 subjects, 123 were caries free. The markers in Xq25.1–27.2 were associated with ECC when children were using milk bottle for longer times (p = 0.01) and had more snacks over the course of a day (p = 0.05). Conversely, the markers in the X chromosome studied here were protective for ECC (p = 0.008) in children consuming milk before going to sleep. The genes located in the X chromosome possibly contribute to ECC and have an impact on ECC depending on the dietary habits.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Santhebachalli Prakasha Shrutha ◽  
Grandim Balarama Gupta Vinit ◽  
Kolli Yada Giri ◽  
Sarwar Alam

Background. Early childhood caries (ECC) is a public health problem due to its impact on children’s health, development, and wellbeing. The objective of this study was to assess the caries experience in 3–5-year-old children and to evaluate the relationship with their mothers’ practices regarding feeding and oral hygiene habits in Kanpur. Method. A cross-sectional survey was undertaken on 2000 (974 boys and 1026 girls) children aged 3–5 years from a random sample of preschools in Kanpur district, India. Dental caries experience was recorded using WHO criteria. A pretested questionnaire with 9 questions was used for collecting information regarding mothers’ practices regarding feeding and oral hygiene practices. Chi-square test (χ2) and Student’s t-test were used for statistical analysis. Results. The prevalence of ECC was 48% with mean dmft of 2.03 ± 2.99. Boys (57%) were affected more than girls (43%) which was found to be statistically significant (P<0.05). Caries prevalence was high and statistically significant (P<0.05) among those who were breast fed for longer duration, during nighttime, those falling asleep with bottle, and those fed with additional sugar in milk. Conclusion. Determining the role of feeding practices on early childhood caries can help in the development of appropriate oral health promotion strategies.


2009 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 241-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ma. Esther Irigoyen Camacho ◽  
Leonor Sánchez Pérez ◽  
Álvaro García Pérez ◽  
Marco Antonio Zepeda Zepeda

The relationship between dental caries and mutans streptococci (ms) in children and their mothers is a key factor in the prevention of early childhood caries. Changes in early childhood caries over time in Mexican children have not been well documented. Objective: to compare the dental caries indices and presence of ms in 3- to 5-year-old children and their mothers in two surveys, the first one carried out in 1996 and the second one in 2007. Study design: cross-sectional study. Results: The first survey included 102 mother-child dyads and the second 103. Dental caries index dmfs was 7.17 (± 10.9) and 4.58 (± 7.1) in the first and second survey, respectively (p&lt;0.05). Ms levels were higher in 1996 than in 2007 (p&lt;0.001). The prevalence of Severe Early Childhood Caries (SECC) was 42.2% and 34.95% in first and second surveys, respectively,(p&gt;0.05). Children with SECC showed higher counts of ms than children without this condition. A high caries index in mothers was associated with higher caries experience in their children. Conclusion: the compassions of the surveys indicated a decline in dental caries indices over an 11-year period. High caries experience in the mother had a negative impact on the oral condition of the child.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Maria dos Santos Pereira Indiani ◽  
Karina Ferreira Rizzardi ◽  
Camila Lopes Crescente ◽  
Carolina Steiner-Oliveira ◽  
Marinês Nobre-dos-Santos ◽  
...  

This brief communication assessed whether there was any relationship between the counts of lactobacilli (LB) and mutans streptococci (MS) in the oral cavity and intestine of obese and eutrophic children with early childhood caries (ECC). Seventy-eight preschoolers were assigned into the following groups: 1. obese children with ECC (OECC), 2. eutrophic children with ECC (EECC), 3. obese caries-free children (OCF), and 4. eutrophic caries-free children (ECF). The diagnosis of obesity and ECC was based on the World Health Organization criteria. Dental plaque and fecal samples were collected to assess the counts of MS and LB using selective media. Data were evaluated by Poisson regression analysis, Wilcoxon test, and Sign test. Microbial indicators of ECC in obese children were MS counts in the intestine [rate ratio (RR): 4.38] and presence of LB in the oral cavity (RR: 2.12). The indicators in eutrophic children were MS levels and the presence of LB, both in the oral cavity (RR: 6.35/1.50) and intestine (RR: 2.35/2.38) (p &lt; 0.05). The comparison between MS levels in the mouth and in the intestine revealed significant differences only in the ECF group (p = 0.04). Regarding LB presence in the mouth vs. in the intestine, except for the OCF group (p = 0.03), no other statistical differences were found. Our preliminary findings highlighted that the levels of MS and the presence of LB in the oral cavity, as well as in the lower gastrointestinal tract were associated with ECC. Moreover, obesity was found to influence this relationship.


2021 ◽  
pp. 002203452098296
Author(s):  
L.H. Heimisdottir ◽  
B.M. Lin ◽  
H. Cho ◽  
A. Orlenko ◽  
A.A. Ribeiro ◽  
...  

Dental caries is characterized by a dysbiotic shift at the biofilm–tooth surface interface, yet comprehensive biochemical characterizations of the biofilm are scant. We used metabolomics to identify biochemical features of the supragingival biofilm associated with early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence and severity. The study’s analytical sample comprised 289 children ages 3 to 5 (51% with ECC) who attended public preschools in North Carolina and were enrolled in a community-based cross-sectional study of early childhood oral health. Clinical examinations were conducted by calibrated examiners in community locations using International Caries Detection and Classification System (ICDAS) criteria. Supragingival plaque collected from the facial/buccal surfaces of all primary teeth in the upper-left quadrant was analyzed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Associations between individual metabolites and 18 clinical traits (based on different ECC definitions and sets of tooth surfaces) were quantified using Brownian distance correlations (dCor) and linear regression modeling of log2-transformed values, applying a false discovery rate multiple testing correction. A tree-based pipeline optimization tool (TPOT)–machine learning process was used to identify the best-fitting ECC classification metabolite model. There were 503 named metabolites identified, including microbial, host, and exogenous biochemicals. Most significant ECC-metabolite associations were positive (i.e., upregulations/enrichments). The localized ECC case definition (ICDAS ≥1 caries experience within the surfaces from which plaque was collected) had the strongest correlation with the metabolome (dCor P = 8 × 10−3). Sixteen metabolites were significantly associated with ECC after multiple testing correction, including fucose ( P = 3.0 × 10−6) and N-acetylneuraminate (p = 6.8 × 10−6) with higher ECC prevalence, as well as catechin ( P = 4.7 × 10−6) and epicatechin ( P = 2.9 × 10−6) with lower. Catechin, epicatechin, imidazole propionate, fucose, 9,10-DiHOME, and N-acetylneuraminate were among the top 15 metabolites in terms of ECC classification importance in the automated TPOT model. These supragingival biofilm metabolite findings provide novel insights in ECC biology and can serve as the basis for the development of measures of disease activity or risk assessment.


Folia Medica ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 546-556
Author(s):  
Sirin Guner Onur ◽  
Betul Kargul

Introduction: Early childhood caries (ECC) is considered a global health concern due to its high prevalence and effect on the overall health of children. Aim: The present study aimed to investigate prevalence of ECC and associated risk factors in a Turkish subpopulation of children. Materials and methods: Five hundred forty-two (299 boys, 243 girls) children were enrolled in this study. Caries experience on primary teeth was measured using decayed or filled teeth (dft) index and the presence of caries was diagnosed if dft >0. A structured questionnaire was employed to mothers through interview. Results: ECC was significantly associated with increased age (OR=1.032; 95% CI, 1.018&ndash;1.047; p<0.001), low level of family income (OR=2.91; 95% CI, 1.567&ndash;5.404; p=0.001), low educational level of mother (OR=2.602; 95% CI, 1.509&ndash;4.485), night-time frequent breastfeeding (OR=1.695; CI, 1.07&ndash;2.685; p=0.024) and bottle feeding with sugary beverages (OR=1.689; CI, 1.002&ndash;2.847; p=0.049). First dental visit age (OR=1.482; 95% CI, 1.254&ndash;1.753; p<0.001) and initial age of tooth brushing (OR=2.062; 95% CI, 1.324&ndash;3.209; p=0.001) were found to be protective against ECC development. Conclusions: The current study highlights potential factors that are commonly associated with the risk of developing ECC. From the perspective of public health, a better understanding of socioeconomic, environmental, maternal and behavioural risks factors for ECC will aid improving maternal and child-based health promotion and preventive programmes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 74-79
Author(s):  
Sunanda Sundas ◽  
Barun Kumar Sah ◽  
Neha Dhakal ◽  
Amita Rai ◽  
Neera Joshi

Background: Early childhood caries (ECC) is major oral health problem of young children. Risk factors for ECC are poor oral hygiene and feeding practices. Prevalence and severity of ECC is increasing with change in lifestyle and diet pattern in developing countries. Objectives: To assess the association between feeding practices and severity of early childhood caries in preschool children. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted with convenient sample of 96 children up to six years age in Peoples Dental College from July to December 2020. Clinical examination included the recording of dental caries (dmft) using WHO criteria. The self-validated questionnaire consisting seven questions about feeding practices was asked to mothers. The Chi-square test was performed to determine association between severity of ECC and feeding pattern. Results: Mean dmft was 6.77 ± 5.91. Prevalence of severe-ECC (S-ECC) was highest in youngest age group. Caries experience was similar in breast fed, bottle fed, and mixed. There was no significant difference in non-severe ECC and ECC in relation to duration of breast or bottle feeding but frequency of night feeding was associated with S-ECC. Children given ready-made infant formula solid food had more S-ECC (13, 92%) compared to non-severe ECC (1, 7.1%) which was statistically significant. Children given homemade gram flour food were noted to have less of S-ECC (5, 27.5%) than nonsevere ECC (13, 72.5%) which was statistically significant. Conclusion: Present study revealed that multiple night feeding and weaning with readymade food are significant factors for S-ECC.


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