title: Dietary intake of calcium, vitamins A and E and bleeding on probing in Sri Lankan preschoolers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of gingival bleeding on probing and the associations between dietary intake of calcium, vitamins A and E and gingival bleeding on probing in Sri Lankan preschool children.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  784 children aged 48-72 months attending preschools in the Kegalle district and their mothers/carers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of gingival bleeding on probing was 52.9%. A Poisson logistic regression model revealed that children with a high daily dietary intake of calcium were less likely to have gingival bleeding on probing than those with low intake (PR=0.80; 95%CI 0.64,0.98). Also prevalence of gingival bleeding was higher in children: with plaque on their teeth; whose mothers were not employed; or, were from families with three or more children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of gingivitis was high in the children and the findings suggest that high levels of dietary calcium intake are associated with reduced gingival bleeding in preschool children.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nanayakkara
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ekanayake
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Silva
mesh_terms: D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000453:epidemiology; D004032:Diet; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005006:Ethnicity; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005220:Fathers / Q000193:education; D005884:Gingival Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D009035:Mothers; D010512:Periodontal Index; D015995:Prevalence; D013188:Sri Lanka / Q000453:epidemiology; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D014815:Vitamins; D014801:Vitamin A; D014810:Vitamin E