Caries experience, mutans streptococci and total protein concentrations in children with protein-energy undernutrition.
BACKGROUND
The highest prevalence of protein-energy undernutrition is observed during early childhood, being also a time in which the presence of dental caries can be unusually aggressive. The present study aimed to verify if different levels of undernutrition could influence the risk of early childhood caries (ECC), in the presence of other predisposing factors.


METHODS
One hundred and twenty undernourished 12-70 month old children, with or without ECC, were selected. Undernourished children were classified as being mildly, moderately or severely undernourished. All children were examined for determination of decayed, missing and filled surfaces (dmfs). Total protein concentration in saliva was analysed by the Bradford method. For microbiological analysis, mitis salivarius-bacitracin agar medium was used. A binary logistic regression model was applied to test the simultaneous influence of different variables over caries experience.


RESULTS
The risk of ECC was significantly higher with an increase in age (p = 0.000) and mutans streptococci counts (p = 0.032). Comparisons with the normal-weight group showed that mildly (p = 0.004) and severely undernourished children (p = 0.037) had a higher risk of experiencing ECC, but this risk was not significantly elevated among moderately undernourished children (p = 0.158).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that mildly and severely undernourished children have an increased risk of experiencing dental caries. Age is highly associated with the disease in this population.
Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil.
T Rodrigues
TR
Ribeiro
K Shangela da Silva
KS
Alves
A C
AC
de Miranda Mota
D Pereira
DP
Costa
C Barreto Mano
CB
de Carvalho
C F
CF
Santos
A J
AJ
Monteiro
C S R
CS
Fonteles
D002675:Child, Preschool; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000150:complications*; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology; D013295:Streptococcus mutans
D011506:Proteins
Child; Streptococcus mutans; dental caries; malnutrition; salivary proteins and peptides