The Relationship between Dental Caries in Preschool Children and Dental Care by Mothers

Abstract

Although the lierature contains many reports concerning the prevalence of dental caries in Japan, there is little information about the relationship between dental caries in preschool children and dental care by their mothers.Seven hundred and twenty-one children between the ages of 3 and 5 years were examined by three dentists. A mouth mirror and dental explorer were used to detect lesions. Questionnaires were given to thetr mothers concerning toothbrushing, between-meal eating and topical application of fluoride for children. The prevalence rates of clinical caries ranged from 90.4% for 3-year-olds to 97.5% for 5-year-olds. The mean number of decayed teeth was 7.5, 8.8 and 10.2 for 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds children, respectively. In statistic analysis, the group taking one between-meal snack a day showed a lower mean number of decayed teeth than another group (p<0.001) taking 2 or 3 between-meal snacks a day. The children who were reported eating“sweet”and/or“sticky”between-meal items exhibited a high def (decayed, indicated for extraction and filling deciduous teeth) rate (p<0.001, x2-test). Also in those children who consumed snacks at bed time there was a greater incremental caries score (p<0.001, x2-test). In the group brushing more than twice a day, their toothbrushing was usually checked by the mothers and there was low caries frequency. This study confirmed that frequency, items and time of between-meal eating and tooth brushing might play an important role in preventing dental caries in preschool children.