Factors influencing early childhood caries of cleft lip and/or palate children aged 18 to 36 months in southern Thailand.
OBJECTIVE
To clarify whether oral health care behavior or oral cleft status influences early childhood caries in southern Thailand cleft children.


METHODS
A comparative cross-sectional study.


METHODS
A total of 138 southern Thai children aged 18 to 36 months comprised two groups of 69 participants, one with cleft lip and/or palate and controls with no cleft.


METHODS
All children were examined for early childhood caries by using the severity (DMFT/tooth) index. A structured interview was conducted among caregivers, and then multiple regression analysis was applied.


RESULTS
Children with oral clefts had a larger number of early childhood caries (ECC) and poorer feeding habits than those without. From a structured questionnaire, the caregivers of children with clefts exercised poorer oral health behavior than those of the controls, but the cleft status was not an important factor for caries prevalence when oral health behaviors were controlled. Multivariate analysis showed that sweetened bottled milk consumption, night-time feeding habit, and frequent sugary food consumption were the variables significantly associated with dental caries.


CONCLUSIONS
Children with oral clefts in southern Thailand had greater caries experience when compared with noncleft subjects. However, cleft status was not significant for ECC, and night-time feeding habit was the most important factor for higher ECC in children with clefts.
Mutarai
Teerapong
T
Orthodontic Division, Department of Preventive Dentistry, Prince of Songkhla University, Thailand. T7090700@hotmail.com
Ritthagol
Wipapun
W
Hunsrisakhun
Jaranya
J
D000818:Animals; D017028:Caregivers; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000150:complications*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000150:complications*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004245:DMF Index; D003729:Dental Care; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000209:etiology*; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005459:Fluorides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk; D012307:Risk Factors; D013785:Thailand; D014099:Toothbrushing
D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D005459:Fluorides