The influence of controlled risk factors on the development of caries in young children

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of caries is of high importance in childhood. In the structure of the intensity of caries, cavity carious lesions predominate and account for about 80%. Due to the large number of risk factors for early childhood caries, it is customary to divide them into groups related to the type of feeding, violation of the regime and nature of nutrition (frequency, amount and duration of sugar consumption), oral hygiene, bacterial flora of the oral cavity. Considering the influence of risk factors with the eruption of the first teeth, it is necessary to note first of all the type of feeding and its duration, oral hygiene with the appearance of the first tooth. AIM: The aim is to study the dental morbidity of children from 1 to 3 years old and to determine the statistical significance of controlled risk factors for the development of early childhood caries on the basis of clinical and sociological (survey) studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical dental examination of 358 children aged from 1 to 3 years was carried out. The examination of children was carried out under standard conditions: in a dental chair, under artificial lighting, in the patient’s sitting position. A visual examination method using a dental mirror was used for the examination. Of the 358 examined children of this age group, two groups were identified: group 1 have carious lesions of the teeth (100 children), group 2 — do not have dental caries (256 children). A survey among the parents of the examined children found out the course of pregnancy, the presence of somatic pathology in the child, the type of feeding of the child, the duration of natural feeding, the nature of the first complementary feeding, the intake of the first sweet drink, the frequency of carbohydrate intake, the beginning of the oral cavity care and the frequency of brushing the teeth. RESULTS: The clinical examination of the children under the age of 3 years (356 children) obtained the following indicators: the average prevalence of early childhood caries in the examined group of children was 28%, and the average value of the index of intensity of temporary teeth caries was 2.14 ± 0.06, with 79.4% of carious teeth, and 20.6% of filled teeth. The type of feeding, the duration of natural feeding, the type of first complementary feeding, factors related to the use of carbohydrates and hygienic care of the child’s teeth have significant influence on the occurrence of early childhood caries. CONCLUSIONS: The influence of these factors is easily minimized or eliminated with the help of sanitary and educational work of pediatric dentists and pediatricians even in the first month of a child’s life. Using computer programs that determine the prognosis and clearly demonstrate the problems to dentists and parents, it is assumed that it is possible to compile personalized measures for the treatment and prevention of early carious lesions, taking into account one of the early risk factors for the development of caries associated with nutrition.