[Dental caries and dental health behavior in 6-and-10-year-old children]

The aim of the study was to investigate whether or not children with low and high caries experience are different concerning some features of preventive dental health behaviour. Regarding their dietary habits it could be established that the total daily intake of energy and nutrients can not differ between both caries groups, but that there seems to be a tendency to a higher intake during regular meals by children with low caries experience compared to their mates with high caries experience. In case of between-meal consumption it is just the reverse. It appears that there is also a difference in the choice of food products. Strikingly the consumption of sweets and sugar containing foods did not differ between the caries groups. Children with low caries experience use more fluoride tablets and seem to be a little more effective in plaque removal. In conclusion it is pointed out that the observed differences are too small to decide whether children in the low caries group behave more favourably as far as dental health is concerned.