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. 2015 Jan-Mar;9(1):122-126.
doi: 10.4103/1305-7456.149659.

Association between early childhood caries and maternal caries status: A cross-section study in São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil

Pedrita Mara do Espírito Santo de Souza  1 , Mariana Almeida Mello Proença  1 , Mayra Moura Franco  1 , Vandilson Pinheiro Rodrigues  2 , José Ferreira Costa  1 , Elizabeth Lima Costa  1
Affiliations

Association between early childhood caries and maternal caries status: A cross-section study in São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil

Pedrita Mara do Espírito Santo de Souza et al. Eur J Dent. 2015 Jan-Mar.

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the association between early childhood caries (ECC) and maternal caries status, and the maternal perception of ECC risk factors.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out with 77 mother-child pairs, the children ranging from 12 to 36 months of age and their mothers, who were seeking dental care at a health center in São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil. Data collection was conducted using a specific questionnaire for mothers. Oral clinical examination of the mother-child binomial to assess caries incidence, gingival bleeding (GB) and visible plaque was done. Home visits were performed in 10% of the sample in order to observe the environmental conditions, dietary habits and dental hygiene practices.

Results: The findings showed that the caries prevalence in children was 22.5 times higher in the mother who had decayed tooth (prevalence ratio [PR] = 22.5, confidence interval [CI] 95% = 3.2-156.6, P < 0.001). GB also was observed in 14 mothers and children, the PR in pair was 12.2 (CI95% = 1.6-88.9, P < 0.001). The variables are related for the mother-child binomial in regression linear analysis.

Conclusion: The maternal caries status was associated with ECC.

Keywords: Dental caries; maternal behavior; preventive dentistry; risk factors.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

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