title: Early Childhood Caries: Epidemiology, Severity and Sociobehavioural Determinants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association between sociobehavioural variables and the pattern and severity of early childhood caries in Brazilian infants and toddlers ages 0-3 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional study with 768 children who attended 58 public nursery schools. Five previously calibrated teams (Kappa = 0.842) performed oral examinations, using the decayed, missing, filled teeth (dmft) index according to the WHO methodology. A pretested, self-administered questionnaire was given to the subjects' parents or guardians to obtain sociobehavioural information.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Caries was observed in 134 of the 768 (17%) children. Caries and rampant caries were significantly more prevalent in low-income families (p = 0.0121) and the incidence of caries was associated with access to dental services (p < 0.05). The percentages of children who were caries free in the age groups of 0-11 months, 12-23 months, 24-35 months and 36-47 months were 100%, 96%, 88% and 76%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Programmes for prevention and oral health education should be instituted, preferably during the first year of life, especially for those in the most socioeconomically deprived groups.
authors.forename: Suzely Adas Saliba
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Moimaz
authors.forename: Heloisa Carvalho
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.forename: Orlando
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Saliba
authors.forename: Cléa Adas Saliba
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Garbin
authors.forename: Nemre Adas
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Saliba
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004245:DMF Index; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004522:Educational Status; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D064890:Social Determinants of Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000473:pathology; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data