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[Dental caries and early childhood development: a pilot study]
F Loreto Núñez1, B Javier Sanz1, L Gloria Mejía2
1Departamento de Salud Pública, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile.
Revista Chilena De Pediatria
|July 31, 2015
Summary
Dental caries severity is linked to impaired early childhood development in Chilean 3-year-olds. Children with higher dental caries scores showed lower psychomotor development, highlighting a significant association.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Early childhood development is crucial for long-term health outcomes.
- Dental caries is a prevalent issue in young children globally.
- Understanding the interplay between oral health and development is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between dental caries and early childhood development.
- To assess this relationship in 3-year-old children from Talca, Chile.
Main Methods:
- A pilot study involving 39 three-year-olds from Talca, Chile.
- Child development assessed using the Psychomotor Development Index (PDI).
- Dental caries evaluated using decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT) and tooth surfaces (DFMT) indexes.
Main Results:
- A significant negative correlation (r = -0.82) was found between caries severity (DMFT) and PDI scores.
- Children with impaired development had higher DMFT values (3.57) compared to normally developing children (1.31).
Conclusions:
- The severity of dental caries is correlated with early childhood development.
- This pilot study suggests a link between poor oral health and developmental delays in young children.
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