title: The relationship between erosion, caries and rampant caries and dietary habits in preschool children in Saudi Arabia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the possible association between dental erosion and caries, and variables including socio-economic status, reported dietary practices and oral hygiene behaviour, in a sample of children in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study including dental examination and questionnaire survey was carried out at a number of kindergartens.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 987 children (2-5-year-olds) was drawn from 17 kindergartens. Clinical examinations were carried out under standardized conditions by a trained and calibrated examiner (MAM). Information regarding diet and socio-economic factors was drawn from questionnaires distributed to the parents through the schools. These were completed before the dental examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 987 children, 309 (31%) showed signs of erosion. Caries were diagnosed in 720 (73%) of the children and rampant caries in 336 (34%). Vitamin C supplements, frequent consumption of carbonated drinks and the drinking of fruit syrup from a feeding bottle at bed- or nap-time when the child was a baby, were all related to erosion. Consumption of carbonated drinks and fruit syrups was also related to caries but they were part of a larger number of significant factors including socio-demographic measures and oral hygiene practices.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was no clear relationship between erosion and social class, or between erosion and oral hygiene practices; the reverse was true for caries. Dietary factors relating to both erosion and caries and/or rampant caries were found in this sample of children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Transcultural Oral Health, Eastman Dental Institute, University College, London, UK.
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Al-Malik
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Holt
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bedi
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001628:Beverages / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001903:Bottle Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002253:Carbonated Beverages / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004522:Educational Status; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009790:Occupations; D016017:Odds Ratio; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education; D010808:Physical Examination; D015995:Prevalence; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012923:Social Class; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014077:Tooth Erosion / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014099:Toothbrushing
chemical_list: D001205:Ascorbic Acid