Association of prenatal exposure to maternal smoking and postnatal exposure to household smoking with dental caries in 3-year-old Japanese children.
BACKGROUND
Epidemiological studies of the association between smoking exposure and dental caries are limited.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the association between prenatal and postnatal secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and the prevalence of dental caries in primary dentition in young Japanese children.


METHODS
Study subjects were 6412 children aged 3 years. Information on exposure to maternal smoking during pregnancy and postnatal SHS exposure at home was collected via parent questionnaire. Children were classified as having dental caries if one or more primary teeth had decayed or had been filled.


RESULTS
Compared with never smoking during pregnancy, maternal smoking in the first trimester of pregnancy was significantly associated with an increased prevalence of dental caries in children (adjusted odds ratio=1.37, 95% confidence interval: 1.03-1.80). Postnatal SHS exposure was also positively associated with dental caries, with a significant positive exposure-response relationship. Compared with children not exposed to prenatal maternal smoking or postnatal SHS at home, those exposed to both prenatal and postnatal smoking had higher odds of dental caries (adjusted odds ratio=1.62, 95% confidence interval: 1.23-2.11).


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that maternal smoking during pregnancy and postnatal SHS exposure may be associated with an increased prevalence of dental caries in primary dentition.
Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Shitsukawa, Toon, Ehime 791-0295, Japan; Epidemiology and Medical Statistics Unit, Translational Research Center, Ehime University Hospital, Ehime, Japan. Electronic address: tanaka.keiko.jn@ehime-u.ac.jp.
Keiko
K
Tanaka
Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Shitsukawa, Toon, Ehime 791-0295, Japan; Epidemiology and Medical Statistics Unit, Translational Research Center, Ehime University Hospital, Ehime, Japan.
Yoshihiro
Y
Miyake
Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan.
Chisato
C
Nagata
Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Shitsukawa, Toon, Ehime 791-0295, Japan; Epidemiology and Medical Statistics Unit, Translational Research Center, Ehime University Hospital, Ehime, Japan.
Shinya
S
Furukawa
Health Tourism Research Center Fields, Graduate School of Tourism Sciences, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.
Masashi
M
Arakawa
D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D015995:Prevalence; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000473:pathology
D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution
Child; Cross-sectional studies; Dental caries; Japan; Secondhand smoke