Prevalence and risk indicators of early childhood caries among toddlers in Caloocan City, Philippines: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Limited published data exist on early childhood caries (ECC) among children 2 years old and below. The study aimed to determine ECC prevalence and its association with socio-demographic indicators, feeding practices and oral health behaviours among children aged 2 years and below in the Philippines. METHODS: A cross-sectional study observed young children aged 4-24 months in primary health centers. Each child's caregiver was interviewed and dental examinations were done on every child by one calibrated dentist using the ICDAS. Poisson regression using robust variance estimator analysis identified significant variables associated with ECC. RESULTS: Seven hundred three healthy children were observed at a mean age of 13.3 ± 2.4 months. ECC prevalence was 29.2% (95% confidence interval: 26.0-32.7) among toddlers who showed a mean number of 6.7 ± 3.1 erupted teeth. Multiple regression revealed that child's age (prevalence ratio, PR = 1.07), caregiver's educational level (PR = 1.43), continued breastfeeding (PR = 1.36), frequent eating (PR = 1.24), visible plaque observed by the caregiver (PR = 1.34) and in the oral examination (PR = 2.90) were significant to ECC prevalence. CONCLUSIONS: ECC is alarmingly prevalent in toddlers, marked by early onset and untreated decay. Prioritizing preventive measures in the first two years of life is crucial for understanding dietary impacts and promoting oral hygiene.

Xylitol-containing Chewing Gum for Caries Prevention in Students with Disabilities: A Randomised Trial.

PURPOSE: This cluster randomised controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness of a school-based xylitol chewing-gum programme on caries prevention among students with visual or hearing impairment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study compared xylitol gum plus oral health education (intervention group, n = 93) with oral health education alone (control group, n = 81) among students aged 7-18 years in special needs schools in Khon Kaen, Thailand. The primary outcome was caries onset rate measured as the change in caries onset on tooth surfaces. The secondary outcome was plaque index. Between-group differences were determined using generalised estimated equations and a general linear model under the intention-to-treat approach. RESULTS: After 1 year, there was a significantly lower caries rate in the primary dentition among the intervention group compared to the control group (0.08 vs 0.12 surfaces per surface-year, respectively; adjusted relative risk = 0.64, 95% confidence interval 0.44-0.96; p = 0.03), but there was no significant difference in the caries rates for the permanent dentition. Remineralisation also occurred more in the intervention vs the control group in the primary dentition only. Oral hygiene was significantly improved in the intervention but not in the control group (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: This programme reduced the caries rate and enhanced remineralisation in primary dentition, and improved oral hygiene in students with disabilities.

Validating Caries Risk Assessment Tools in High-Prevalence Filipino Toddlers.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: Caries risk assessment is an essential part of the diagnostic process. Many studies have assessed these tools, proving their effectiveness in reducing future caries risk in developed countries with low caries prevalence. However, Filipino children have consistently registered high caries prevalence rates in successive official surveys. This prospective study aimed to compare the validity of available caries risk assessment tools in predicting future caries among a high-caries-prevalent population in the Philippines. METHODS: From the vaccination registry of community health centres in Caloocan City, Philippines, children aged 4-24 months underwent oral examinations according to modified International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) criteria, and their primary caregivers were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Baseline caries risk categories were evaluated using 3 available tools, without biological tests. Caries incidence was recorded during the follow-up visit after 2 years. RESULTS: Baseline oral examinations in 703 toddlers (mean age: 13.3 months, standard deviation (SD) 2.4) revealed a high caries prevalence of 29.2%. Of the 654 eligible children without cavitated caries at baseline, 323 (mean age: 35.6 months, SD 5.1) attended the 2-year follow-up visit, with a caries incidence (cavitated and non-cavitated) of 76.5%. Caries-risk Assessment Form (CrAF) demonstrated high sensitivity but low specificity scores (93.1% and 3.9%), while Caries Management by Risk Assessment (CAMBRA) showed similar patterns (71.7% and 34.2%). Conversely, Cariogram exhibited low sensitivity but high specificity (23.5% and 80.3%). CONCLUSION: Among CrAF, CAMBRA or Cariogram, no assessment tool came close (sensitivity + specificity < 160) to effectively identify toddlers highly at risk of caries development. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Current CRA tools lack sufficient accuracy in predicting caries development in high-risk populations like Filipino children. Refinement or development of more valid tools is crucial for implementing effective caries prevention strategies at both individual and population levels.