title: The association of early dental caries patterns with caries incidence in preschool children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study assessed the development of caries in preschool children over two years according to baseline caries pattern.
  
  
  METHODS
  Connecticut Head Start children (n = 142, mean age = 3.8 years) were examined for dental caries at baseline (spring 1991) and once annually for two years. Children were categorized at baseline as caries-free, having pit and fissure (PF) caries, or having maxillary anterior (MA) caries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After two years, children who presented at baseline with MA or PF caries had a mean posterior dmfs of greater than seven and four times, respectively, that of children who were caries-free at baseline. When dental caries of the primary dentition was categorized by specific posterior patterns (i.e., posterior proximal [PP] and buccal/lingual [BL]), change in dmfs for the PP and BL patterns in the group that presented with pit/fissure caries at baseline were nearly four and three times greater, respectively, than for those in the caries-free group. The group that presented with maxillary anterior caries at baseline had PP and BL caries increments eight times those of children who began caries-free.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dental caries presentation in 3- to 4-year-old children can identify those children and tooth surfaces that will be at the greatest risk for future caries development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT06030-1610, USA. osullivan@sun.uchc.edu
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: O'Sullivan
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tinanoff
mesh_terms: D001641:Bicuspid; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003237:Connecticut / Q000453:epidemiology; D003481:Cuspid; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003733:Dental Caries Susceptibility; D003750:Dental Fissures / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007180:Incisor; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla; D008963:Molar; D011203:Poverty; D012307:Risk Factors; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous