Intake of dairy products and the prevalence of dental caries in young children.
OBJECTIVE
In vitro studies show that milk or milk components may have cariostatic properties. However, the results of epidemiological studies on the association between intake of dairy products and dental caries have been inconsistent. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the association between intake of dairy products and the prevalence of dental caries in young children.


METHODS
Study subjects were 2058 Japanese children aged 3 years. Information on diet was assessed with a self-administered brief diet history questionnaire for children. The consumption of dairy products was categorized into 3 levels in order to represent the tertiles as closely as possible. Dental caries was assessed by a visual examination. Adjustment was made for sex, toothbrushing frequency, use of fluoride, between-meal snack frequency, maternal smoking during pregnancy, environmental tobacco smoke exposure at home, and paternal and maternal educational levels.


RESULTS
Compared with yogurt consumption at the lowest tertile (<1 time/week), its intake at the highest level (> or =4 times/week) was significantly associated with a lower prevalence of dental caries, showing a clear dose-response relationship (adjusted prevalence ratio=0.78, 95% confidence interval: 0.62-0.98, P for trend=0.04). There were no material associations between intake of cheese, bread and butter, or milk and the prevalence of dental caries.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that a high consumption of yogurt may be associated with a lower prevalence of dental caries in young children.
Tanaka
Keiko
K
Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka 814-0180, Japan. k-tanaka@fukuoka-u.ac.jp
Miyake
Yoshihiro
Y
Sasaki
Satoshi
S
D000818:Animals; D001939:Bread; D002079:Butter; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002611:Cheese; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004245:DMF Index; D003611:Dairy Products; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005220:Fathers / Q000193:education; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005459:Fluorides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015014:Yogurt
D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D002079:Butter; D005459:Fluorides