A study of dental caries and risk factors among Native American infants

Seventy-seven infants, ages twelve to thirty-six months, were examined in a Women Infant Children (WIC) program at the Tulalip Health Center, Marysville, Washington. All parents/caregivers completed questionnaires, which consisted of twenty-nine questions regarding children's feeding, general care, and dental health behavior. After completing questionnaires, dental examinations were conducted with mouth mirror and explorer by one dentist. Results indicated overall caries prevalence of 46.8 percent (26 percent for twelve to eighteen months, 56 percent for eighteen to twenty-four months and 56 percent for twenty-four to thirty-six months groups). The overall average number of carious teeth per child (deft) was 2.09 (0.83, 2.17 and 2.86, in order). Caries in children was significantly associated with following factors; bottle fed now (63.9 percent vs 29.3 percent, p = .00), giving bottle as baby falls sleep (82.4 percent vs 61.0 percent, p = .03), and 3 times or more snacks between meals (73.5 percent vs 40.0 percent, p = .01). Similarly, brushing behavior was related to caries. These results suggest that the present population was at risk for caries and that feeding patterns beyond bottle use appear to be behavioral risk factors in the prevalence of infant caries in this population.