Variables associated with oral hygiene levels in 7-year-olds in Belgium

The present investigation aimed to delineate the extent of the correlation between each of a number of possible associated variables and the amount of plaque (as measured by a plaque index) present in 7-year-old Flemish children and to investigate the potential relation between caries experience and the amount of dental plaque.

A sample of 4,468 children representative of children living in Flanders and born in 1989 was obtained. Their mean age was 7.1 (SD = 0.4) years with a boys/girls ratio of 51.8%-48.2%.

Analyses were performed with ordinal plaque index outcome, considering the children's school (i.e. class) as a random effect. Random effect models were estimated with the SAS procedure Proc NLMIXED.

From the multiple logistic regression analysis, it could be concluded that the older the subjects the more dental plaque was observed (OR = 1.35; CI 1.08-1.68; p = 0.0081). Moreover, four explanatory variables could be identified as significant determinants for dental plaque in the mixed dentition: 'start of brushing after the age of 2' (OR = 1.161; CI: 1.09-1.23; p < 0.0001), 'brushing frequency of < 1x/day' (OR = 1.369; CI: 1.012-1.66; p = 0.0019), 'more than two in between meal snacks' (OR = 1.18; CI: 1.023-1.36; p = 0.0111) and 'daily intake of sugar containing drinks' (OR = 1.24; CI: 1.08-1.42; p = 0.0023). Further, being male was associated with a higher amount of plaque (OR = 1.16; CI: 1.00-1.34; p = 0.0506) and finally, a weak but significant correlation (Spearmans' rho: r = 0.23, p < 0.0001) between caries experience and the amount of cervical plaque was shown.

The amount of cervical plaque in the mixed dentition was significantly related to variables associated with oral hygiene and dietary habits. A low but significant correlation between the amount of dental plaque and caries experience was observed.