Predicting Risk of Early Childhood Caries

Predicting Risk of Early Childhood Caries

Closing the gap between dental and medical care through interprofessional collaboration is key to promoting oral health and reducing oral health disparities among young children. Researchers believe that a caries risk assessment tool administered in the medical setting may help identify which children are at greatest risk of developing early childhood caries (ECC).

For this study, researchers from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Indiana University, Duke University, University of Iowa School of Medicine, and George Mason University, teamed up to examine 1,056 child participants and evaluate caries risk questionnaires completed by the participants’ parents. The 52 questions were answered when the child was 12 months old and again at age 30 months.

Study participants were 49% female;13% Hispanic, 41% white, 33% black, 2% other, and 10% multiracial; 58% were covered by Medicaid; and 95% lived in urban areas. Minority children covered by Medicaid, the data show, were more likely to present with cavitated lesions. Other behaviors and risk factors—including premature birth, bleeding gingiva, going to sleep nursing or with a bottle, and high consumption of sugary snacks—were closely associated with increased risk for ECC. The study also found that dental insurance coverage, as well as parent/caregiver involvement in maintaining the child’s medical health significantly reduced the risk of caries.

This study “Predicting Caries Risk at 30-Months of Age in Medical Settings” found that minority children, those covered by Medicaid, and children who live in rural areas are more likely to develop ECC at 30 months. Supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, the research was presented at the 45th Annual Meeting and Exhibition of the American Association for Dental Research held in March in Los Angeles.

Hygiene Connection E-Newsletter

April 2016