Parenting style and oral health practices in early childhood caries: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: There is a need to carry out controlled investigations regarding risk factors for early childhood caries (ECC). AIM: To study the type of parenting style and oral health practices as risk factors among children with ECC in an Indian preschool population. METHODS: Two hundred and eleven children with ECC and equal number of controls participated in this case-control study. A questionnaire was answered by parents regarding oral health practices such as oral hygiene methods, feeding habits, daily sugar intake, and dental attendance pattern along with socioeconomic and demographic status. The parenting style was determined using Parenting Styles Dimension Questionnaire (PSDQ) index. Data were statistically analyzed using chi-square test and multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Risk factors associated with ECC were higher birth order, lower socioeconomic status, non-use of fluoridated toothpaste, breast/bottle feeding for more than one year, presence of formula milk or milk with sugar in the feeding bottle while falling asleep, higher sweet scores in the diet chart, and visiting dentist only when a problem was perceived. Majority of parents of children with and without ECC had authoritative parenting style. CONCLUSION: Improper oral health practices are the risk factors for ECC. The association of parenting style with ECC could not be confirmed.

Evaluation of Pulp Chamber Dimensions of Primary Molars From Bitewing Radiographs.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to measure key anatomic landmarks related to pulp chamber morphology in primary maxillary and mandibular first and second molars. METHODS: Bitewing radiographs of 42 subjects were taken under standardized conditions using a millimeter X-ray grid. One hundred fifty-three primary molars (44 maxillary first molars, 49 maxillary second molars, 30 mandibular first molars, and 30 mandibular second molars) were analyzed for the required anatomic landmarks using Image J Analysis Software. The data were analyzed in terms of mean, standard deviation, and coefficient of variance for each measurement. Mean measurements were compared using one-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey's post-hoc HSD test. RESULTS: The distance between cusp tip to pulp chamber ceiling was approximately four mm, the distance between pulpal floor to furcation was approximately 1.7 mm, and the average height of the pulp chamber was observed to be in the range of two to three mm. CONCLUSION: The key measurements involved in access cavity preparation were consistent across the different types of primary molars.