title: Early childhood caries in Switzerland: a marker of social inequalities.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Early childhood caries (ECC) is a marker of social inequalities worldwide because disadvantaged children are more likely to develop caries than their peers. This study aimed to define the ECC prevalence among children living in French-speaking Switzerland, where data on this topic were scarce, and to assess whether ECC was an early marker of social inequalities in this country.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study took place between 2010 and 2012 in the primary care facility of Lausanne Children's Hospital. We clinically screened 856 children from 36 to 71 months old for ECC, and their caregivers (parents or legal guardians) filled in a questionnaire including items on socioeconomic background (education, occupation, income, literacy and immigration status), dental care and dietary habits. Prevalence rates, prevalence ratios and logistic regressions were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall ECC prevalence was 24.8 %. ECC was less frequent among children from higher socioeconomic backgrounds than children from lower ones (prevalence ratios ≤ 0.58).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study reported a worrying prevalence rate of ECC among children from 36 to 71 months old, living in French-speaking Switzerland. ECC appears to be a good marker of social inequalities as disadvantaged children, whether from Swiss or immigrant backgrounds, were more likely to have caries than their less disadvantaged peers. Specific preventive interventions regarding ECC are needed for all disadvantaged children, whether immigrants or Swiss.
authors.affiliation: Life Course and Inequality Research Centre, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. stephanie.baggio@unil.ch.
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baggio
authors.affiliation: Private practice, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. abarca.m@outlook.com.
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abarca
authors.affiliation: Vulnerable Population Unit, Department of Ambulatory Care and Community Medicine, University of Lausanne & Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland. patrick.bodenmann@hospvd.ch.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bodenmann
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland. mario.gehri@chuv.ch.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gehri
authors.affiliation: Stomatology and Dentistry Unit, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland. carlos.madrid@chuv.ch.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Madrid
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004522:Educational Status; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000067010:Literacy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D009790:Occupations; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education; D015995:Prevalence; D012923:Social Class; D064890:Social Determinants of Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*