Risk factors for rampant caries in children from southwestern Nigeria.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The cross sectional study tried to identify some risk factors for rampant caries in a hospital based population of Nigerian children. METHOD: 205 consecutive eligible children seen in the paediatric units of two hospitals in Nigeria were recruited into the study. All enrolled children were healthy with no chronic medical condition. Consent for study participation was received from their accompanying parent. The accompanying parent of each child was questioned on the duration of breast and bottle feeding, and form of breast feeding and the frequency of daily intake of sugary diet. The associations between sex, age of the child, frequency of daily consumption of sugar, birth rank, duration of breast feeding, form of breast feeding and duration of bottle feeding and rampant caries were established. RESULTS: No association was found between the occurrence of rampant caries and sex, birth rank, duration of breast feeding, form of breast feeding and duration of bottle feeding. However, and association existed between the rampant caries, the age (p < 0.001) of the child and frequency of daily consumption of sugar (p = 0.026). The odds for rampant caries was 0.63 for every year decrease in age (95% CI 0.53 to 0.76) p < 0.001. Also, the odds for rampant caries was 1.46 for every increase in frequency of daily consumption of sugar (95% CI 1.10 to 1.95) p = 0.009. However, threshold for rampant caries was established at a frequency of daily consumption of sugar greater than three times a day. At this threshold, the risk for rampant caries increased by 0.26 when the frequency of daily consumption of sugar is greater than 3 times a day (95% CI 0.023 to 0.50) p = 0.032. CONCLUSION: Children who report consuming sugary diet more than three times a day should be managed as a high risk patient for rampant caries.