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Association of Undernutrition and Early Childhood Dental Caries

Chandrashekar Janakiram1, Bobby Antony2, Joe Joseph2

  • 1Department of Public Health Dentistry, Amrita School of Dentistry, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Edapally, Kochi, India. Correspondence to: Prof Chandrashekar Janakiram, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Amrita School of Dentistry, Amrita Vishwa Vidhyapeetham, Edapally, Kochi 682 041, India. sekarcandra@gmail.com.

Indian Pediatrics
|September 16, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Undernutrition in preschool children significantly increases their risk of developing early childhood caries (dental decay). This study highlights the critical link between poor nutrition and oral health in young children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Dentistry
  • Public Health Nutrition
  • Child Development

Background:

  • Early childhood caries (ECC) is a prevalent oral health issue in preschool children.
  • Nutritional status is a critical determinant of overall health, including oral health, in early childhood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between early childhood caries and the nutritional status of preschool children.
  • To identify potential risk factors for ECC related to malnutrition.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study was conducted with 550 preschool children (aged 8-60 months) in Kerala.
  • Oral examinations using the Deft index assessed ECC, and anthropometric measurements evaluated nutritional status.
  • Multiple logistic regression analysis was employed to determine the association between ECC and nutritional status, controlling for covariates.

Main Results:

  • Mean Deft scores were higher in children with borderline undernutrition (2.22) and undernutrition (3.40) compared to those with normal nutritional status (0.93).
  • Children with borderline undernutrition (adjusted OR 2.05) and undernutrition (adjusted OR 3.46) exhibited significantly higher odds of having dental caries than their well-nourished counterparts.

Conclusions:

  • Undernutrition is significantly associated with an increased prevalence of early childhood caries in preschool children.
  • Findings underscore the importance of addressing nutritional deficiencies to prevent and manage ECC.
Abstract

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