title: [Analysis of the influence of some factors on the intensity of early childhood caries].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Early childhood caries is an important factor implicated in the loss of teeth in children. The chief causes of caries include improper oral hygiene by the parents and bad nutritional habits during the first years of life. The aim of this work was to analyze the influence of some factors on the intensity of early childhood caries.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was done in 105 children aged 3 years, pupils of kindergartens in Poznafi and Swarz dz near Poznaii. The clinical examination included determination of the caries intensity index (DMF) and the oral hygiene index (OHI). A questionnaire administered to parents addressed socio-economic factors (parent's education, age, and economic status), pregnancy and labor (course of pregnancy, diseases during pregnancy), and child history (antibiotic therapy, tooth eruption time, nutrition during infancy, consumption of sweets, oral hygiene, and fluoride prevention). The questionnaire was supplemented with a clinical examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  DMF was 2.88 in the group; 3.02 in girls and 2.74 in boys. Nutritional habits of the child had an irppact on the intensity of caries. The greatest importance was attributed to the sweetening of foods and falling asleep during breast- or bottle-feeding. Poor oral hygiene represented by high OHI was a significant factor as well.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Deficient knowledge of the parents concerning oral hygiene and proper nutrition in young children is the main factor determining the intensity of caries.
authors.affiliation: ZPS i S Art Medicum, Osiedle Raczyńskiego 2/23, 62-020 Swarzedz.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Staśkiewicz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking; D009911:Oral Hygiene Index; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires