title: Comparative study between dental caries prevalence of Down syndrome children and their siblings.
abstract: The purpose of this epidemiological study was to determine the differences in the prevalence of caries between individuals with Down syndrome (DS) and their siblings. A sibling-matched, population-based and cross-sectional survey was performed. This study involved 138 (62%) children with DS and 86 (38%) siblings, aged 2-26. The children were compared in different subgroups: [2, 6], [6, 12], and [13, 26]. Data was gathered through the use of a complete questionnaire and clinical observation. Data analysis was performed by using SPSS® v.18.0 software with any p value <.05 considered as significant. The DS group presented a significantly higher percentage of children within the caries-free group: 72% versus 46% of the siblings group (p < .001). In the age gap [2, 6[the median value of DMFT was the same in both groups (p = .918). In the age gap [6, 12] the median value of DMFT in the DS group was 0 and in the siblings group was 1 (p = .004). In the age gap [13, 26] the median value of DMFT in the DS group was 0, whereas in the siblings group the median value was 3, which constitutes a significantly high difference (p = .003). The results of this study suggest that Portuguese children with DS have lower caries prevalence than their siblings.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Dentistry in FMDUP, Rua Dr. Manuel Pereira da Silva, Porto, Portugal. vivimacho@gmail.com
authors.forename: Viviana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Macho
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Palha
authors.forename: Ana Paula
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Macedo
authors.forename: Orquídea
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: Casimiro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Andrade
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011174:Portugal / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D035781:Siblings; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014078:Tooth Eruption / Q000502:physiology; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult