Cariogenic Dietary Assessment Using a Mobile App in Children

A direct association exists between caries and high-sugar diets. The aim of this study was to test whether the cariogenicity of diet assessed and analysed through a new mobile app is associated with caries risk among children.

A total of 247 children, 2-15 years old, were recruited from university and hospital daycare centers and dental clinics. Diet was assessed via a 24-h recall, and caries (dmft/DMFT- ICDAS criteria) was documented through clinical examination. A mobile app was designed to analyse dietary data and calculate the diet's cariogenicity. Demographics, daily meals, meal duration and type, and toothbrushing were entered. A diagram presenting an estimate of the oral pH was produced, showing the time interval during which caries may develop, and a calculated cariogenic dietary risk was generated. Multivariate logistic regression derived odds ratios estimating associations between the cariogenic diet and caries across three age groups.

A cariogenic diet analysed by the app was positively associated with dfmt (r = 0.477, p 0.001) in 2- to 6-year-old children, with dmft (r = 0.376, p 0.05) and DMFT (r = 0.271, p 0.05) in 7- to 11-year-old children, and with DMFT (r = 0.383, p 0.001) in 12- to 15-year-old children. Parents' lower educational level was associated with a statistically significantly higher caries risk in younger children (p 0.05).

Cariogenic diet evaluated with the new app was associated with increased caries, providing evidence of an accurate assessment among children. This app could assist dentists in providing dietary assessment and advice related to caries risk at the dental office in a more structured, educational, and time-saving way.