Association of caries increment in preschool children with nutritional and preventive variables

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of various risk factors on dental caries increment in deciduous teeth of preschool children over 2.5 years. A longitudinal study was carried out in kindergartens in two German counties in Northern Hesse. At baseline examination in 2006–2007, the mean age of the children was 3.5 years. Caries experience was recorded according to WHO standards. Information about feeding practices during early childhood and preventive measures were collected by a structured questionnaire for each child. Three hundred ninety-five (69.8 %) of the 566 children showed no caries increment. A caries increase of 1 to 10 dmf-teeth was exhibited by 171 children (30.2 %). The mean dmf-t increment amounted to 0.75. The bivariate analysis revealed that the consumption of sugary food and beverages had a negative impact on oral health. Early start of toothbrushing, use of fluoridated children’s toothpaste, and frequent toothbrushing exerted a positive influence on dental health. Stepwise backward logistic regression analysis confirmed that a high social status has a significant positive impact on dental health (p = 0.028), whereas the consumption of sugary food and beverages was significantly associated with a higher dental caries increment (p = 0.004). Obviously, it is not possible to limit the caries increment in children of low socioeconomic status as successfully as in children of high socioeconomic status. There must be a stronger focus on families of low socioeconomic status when preventive measures are performed on groups or individuals.