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

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Dentistry
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Dental caries is a significant public health issue in early childhood.
• Predicting caries development in young children is crucial for timely intervention.
• Longitudinal studies are needed to identify reliable early risk factors for childhood caries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify caries risk factors in 1-year-olds that predict dentine caries development by age 6.
• To evaluate the accuracy of early caries risk assessment in a low-prevalence population.
• To determine the prognostic value of specific risk indicators, including microbial factors.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 804 one-year-olds underwent caries risk assessment via parental questionnaires and clinical examinations.
• Data collected included family factors, general health, dietary habits, and oral hygiene practices.
• Statistical analyses, including simple and multiple regression, were employed to identify caries-associated factors at ages 1, 3, and 6.

Main Results:

• Caries prevalence increased from 5% at age 1 to 16% at age 6.
• Early caries risk assessment showed association with caries at age 6 (OR=5.1).
• Significant predictors for 6-year-old caries included sibling caries, non-water beverages, night meals, mutans streptococci presence, and male gender.

Conclusions:

• Caries risk assessment in 1-year-olds has limited predictive accuracy for 6-year-old caries in low-prevalence settings.
• Dental caries risk is dynamic and necessitates regular reassessment.
• Mutans streptococci presence at age 1 did not significantly enhance prognostic accuracy for caries at age 6.