• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.571-576
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• 2014

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between early childhood caries(ECC) and breastfeeding. Methods : Data of 670 children were derived from the Forth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2007 to 2009. Demographic and socioeconomic data, oral health related behavior, and breastfeeding practice data were collected as independent variables. The ECC was used as a dependent variable. The chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were performed to identify the relationship between ECC and the other variables. Results : Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that ECC was related with age, tooth brushing frequency, and breastfeeding practice. Conclusions : This study confirmed various risk indicators of ECC in Korean children, using Korean national survey data. Parents should begin an early and consistent mouth care regime to decrease the risk of ECC.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.72-81
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• 2013

Early childhood caries prevalence has increased significantly in children ages 2~5 years. ECC disproportionately affects lower socioeconomic and minority groups, is a predictor for future decay, but is preventable and manageable. Caries risk assessment systematically derives a patient's caries risk and is important during an infant oral health visit beginning at age 1. Information obtained through a risk assessment can guide a disease management care path tailored to an individual's age and risk to effectively treat and manage one's caries disease process.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.383-389
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of severe early childhood caries and feeding pratices in preschool children. The subjects of study were six hundred and seventy-two preschool children in Iksan city. Severe early childhood caries(S-ECC) was defined as the presence of one or more cavitated, missing due to caries, or filled smooth surfaces in primary maxillary anterior teeth. The caregivers of children were given a questionnaire including age, gender, birthweight, and feeding practices. The prevalence of S-ECC was 34.5%. The prevalence was significantly higher when there were the habit of sleeping while feeding, the habit of feeding sour or sweet content in the bottle, and the habit of using the pacifier. Birth weight, breast-feeding, bottle-feeding, and the sippy cup habit showed no significant association with the prevalence of S-ECC. There were significant positive associations between breast-feeding and sleeping while feeding, between bottle-feeding and the pacifier, between sleeping while feeding and sour or sweet content in the bottle, between sleeping while feeding and the sippy cup, between sleeping while feeding and the pacifier, and between the sippy cup and the pacifier. There were significant negative associations between breast-feeding and the pacifier.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.337-347
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• 2009

Dental caries during infantile and early childhood period is a complex disease resulting from multiple caries factors. Streptococcus mutans(S. mutans) plays a critical role in the initiation of caries, and its early transmission through mothers provides a strong etiologic factor for future development of caries in the primary dentition. Therefore, early detection of caries risk factor is important for prevention of caries. Recent studies about etiologic factors of caries have brought advent of various tools for caries risk assessment in order to predict progress of caries more accurately. Cariogram is a common tool for caries risk assessment, which illustrates present caries risk assessment and correlation of caries risk factors for an individual graphically. The aim of this study was to assess if there is any correlation in the level of S. mutans and caries activity and to verify the effect of caries risk factors between children with age ranging from 3 to 5 years with severe early childhood caries(S-ECC) and their mothers using caries-related salivary test and Cariogram. The results of this study were as follows. 1. Children with S-ECC had a statistically higher level of Streptococcus mutans compared to caries-free children(p<0.05). 2. There was significant correlation between mothers and their children in the aspect of the level of Streptococcus mutans(p<0.05). 3. When caries activity was assessed using Cariogram, significant correlation between mothers and their children was found(p<0.05). 4. When each caries risk factor was evaluated for its affect on caries activity, host was more influential factor compared to microorganism and diet in children. Based on these results, we could conclude that assessing the level of S. mutans can be an effective tool for predicting possibility of caries formation in future. Since prediction of future caries progression and evaluation of caries risk factor became possible with Cariogram, we may conduct early and preventive measures for treatment of caries.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.193-201
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• 2010

Early childhood caries (ECC) is a comprehensive terminology that includes nursing bottle caries and rampant dental caries occurred in infants and children. In previous studies, ECC was thought to affect body growth of children negatively. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of ECC on body growth of children in respect of their chronologic age and degree of dental caries. Height and body weight were used as means for physical growth measurements. Children, who visited the pediatric department of Yonsei University Dental Hospital, received oral and physical examinations, and they were divided into the control and ECC groups. Then, each group was subdivided according to their age and gender. Two-sample T test was used to compare the mean height and body weight of the control and ECC groups, and Likelihood Ratio Chi-square test was used to compare their growth percentile distribution. When the mean height and weight were compared, there was a common tendency observed even though statistical significance was not found in all cases. Before the age of 3-4, the mean height and weight tended to be greater in the ECC groups compared to the control groups, whereas after the age of 3-4, the mean height and weight of the ECC group tended to be less compared to the control group. In addition, in groups with age equal or greater than 3-4, which presented significant difference in height and body weight, the percentage of children showing less than 3 percentile growth was greater in the ECC group than the control group. These results imply the negative effects of the ECC on physical growth of the infants and children, and its effects on physical growth may present different characteristics according to chronologic age of the patients.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.677-683
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• 2008

The purpose of study was to compare the prevalences of severe early childhood caries(S-ECC) using two different diagnostic criteria. The subjects of this study included 401 preschool children from 36 to 71 months of the randomly selected seven nurseries in Iksan city. Severe early childhood caries was defined as (1) 1 or more cavitated, missing (due to caries), or filled smooth surfaces in primary maxillary anterior teeth or (2) a decayed, missing, or filled score of ${\geq}$4 (age 3), ${\geq}$5 (age 4), or ${\geq}$6 (age 5) surfaces. The prevalence determined by maxillary anterior caries and the prevalence determined by dmfs were 26.7%, 28.9% in 3 years, 32.4%, 30.4% in 4 years, 39.4%, 41.3% in 5 years, and 35.4%, 35.9% in all, respectively. The results suggest that the two diagnostic criteria of the severe early childhood caries yield almost the same results.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.21-24
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• 2002

It is important to practice preventive method to control oral disease. Dental caries tendency has been decreased in developed countries, but early childhood caries(ECC, BBTD) became serious dental problems in many countries. To slove these problems, more positive and definite prenatal programs on infants and child are needed. Mostly the control of oral health was affected by a mother's knowledge and behavior in this stage. According to many studies, prenatal education is the most effective method to promote oral health in children. But in Korea, there is little oral health education programs for pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants and children. The purpose of this study was to access the knowledge and opinions of caries prevention among gravid women. 330 pregnant women(primiparae=181, multiparae=149), aged 23 to 39 years were randomly selected at prenatal health education courses in Seoul, Korea, 2000. Face-to-Face interviews were conducted by a trained interviewer using questionnaires included demographics, attitude toward children's dental cares, knowledge of early childhood caries, knowledge concerning pregnancy and oral health. The obtained results were as follows; (1) Most respondents were very concerned about their children's oral health. (2) 58% of the respondents were unaware of early childhood caries and the proportion was significantly higher among primipara (p<0.05). (3) Only 43% of the respondents believed that improper breast feeding could develop ECC, the proportion was significantly higher among primipara(p<0.05). (4) 82% of the respondents reportedly believed that the fetus takes away calcium from the mother's teeth during pregnancy. (5) 71% of the respondents believed that dental treatment during pregnancy was unsafe. There is a relatively low level of accurate knowledge regarding infant nutritions, maternal need for oral health and dental caries prevention among pregnant women. Oral health education and promotion programs that are science-based are needed for gravid women.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.311-318
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to look into the perception, experience, treatment of early childhood caries (ECC) and influential factors of perception in order to provide basic data useful for preventing the ECC by examining the relationship between oral health of young children in infancy and mother. In this study, 277 mothers were surveyed who had children in children under 6 years old and visiting the pediatrics, day care center, and pediatric dental clinics located in Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do from July 10, 2013 to September 5 of the same year. The results obtained from the survey were analyzed through chi-square test, t-test, and binary logistic regression analysis by using the SPSS 18.0, a statistical program. The results of analysis showed that ECC in children under 6 years old was associated with mother's age, education background of mothers, number of children and monthly income and had a significant correlation with mother's oral health-related knowledge and oral health care of their children. Thus, it would be necessary to develop oral health education programs and implement such oral health education programs at a national level on a regular basis for the mothers of young children in infancy and would-be mothers in order to reduce the ECC in infancy and promote oral health.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.448-455
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• 2009

For prevention of ECC, the Korean Academy Of Pediatric Dentistry(KAPD) advocate that Children should be seen as early as 6 months of age after the first tooth erupts, or 12 months of age. Pediatrics have increased access to new mothers and children 6 to 12 months while dentists does not see young children unless there are urgent problems. Therefore, they have an opportunity to impact infant oral health care. This study's purpose was to examine pediatricians' awareness and experience about infant oral health care. For the study, we surveyed of 150 pediatricians in korea. The survey comprised 10 questions related to infant oral health care and the recommended age a child go for their first dental visit. The results were as follows: 1. Most respondents had been referred children to a dentist for treating ECC and more than half of respondents reported that they did not do oral examination in their practice. 2. The majority of surveyed pediatricians are not advising patients to see the dentist by 1 year of age. 3. The surveyed pediatrician's awareness of infant oral health care is insufficient. The oral health education should be reinforced. 4. There is a need for increased infant oral health care education in the medical and dental communities.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.717-721
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• 2006

Premature loss of maxillary primary incisors often results from early childhood caries (ECC), trauma. While space maintenance in the posterior region is an important consideration when there is early loss of primary molars, the anterior segment appears to be stable, even with the early loss of several incisors, once the primary canines erupt. However, collapse of anterior arch integrity is evident in cases where incisor teeth are in a crowded dentition prior to extraction or lost before the eruption of the primary canines. So, when early loss of maxillary primary incisors, the aim of restoration is esthetics, speech problem, oral habit such as tongue thrusting than space maintenance. This paper reports that the esthetic problem due to premature loss of maxillary incisors can be successfully resolved by soldered open-faced stainless steel crown.