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Background <p>This study aimed to evaluate the impact of preterm birth on oral and dental health by employing various indexes and to investigate its impact on the prevalence of Early Childhood Caries (ECC) in relation to sociodemographic and dietary risk factors.</p> Methods <p>The study included 257 children (131 girls and 126 boys) aged 32 to 76 months who attended to the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, Faculty of Dentistry. Infants delivered at 36 weeks of gestation or before were classified as the “Preterm” group, whilst those born at 37 weeks or after were classified as the “Full-term” group. Sociodemographic, prenatal, and postnatal data, which may serve as possible risk factors for ECC, were recorded. Oral and dental health data were assessed utilizing the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS II), dmft index, gingival index (GI), and plaque index (PI). The acquired data were subjected to statistical analysis.</p> Results <p>The prevalence of ECC was 65.4% in full-term children and 65.3% in preterm children. No statistically significant difference was found between preterm and full-term children regarding the mean dmft value, ICDAS II classification, PI, GI, or the presence of ECC (<i>p</i> &gt; 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that ECC was significantly associated with infrequent tooth brushing (adjusted OR = 0.469, 95% Cl = 0.225–0.981, <i>p</i> = 0.044), frequent sugary snack consumption (adjusted OR = 0.247, 95% Cl = 0.111–0.548, <i>p</i> = 0.001) and the use of sweetened pacifiers (adjusted OR = 0.141, 95% Cl = 0.022–0.909, <i>p</i> = 0.039). The absence of maternal caries was identified as a protective factor against ECC (adjusted OR = 0.558, 95% Cl = 0.326–0.954, <i>p</i> = 0.033). In addition, oral and dental health outcomes were influenced by a range of sociodemographic, maternal, and behavioral factors, including parental education level, maternal antibiotic use during pregnancy, breastfeeding status, and overall oral hygiene and dietary practices.</p> Conclusion <p>The data indicate that ECC is multifactorial and may be influenced by environmental, dietary, and individual factors, despite the absence of an association between ECC and preterm birth.</p>

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Oral health status and early childhood caries in preterm and full-term children: a cross-sectional study

  • 期刊论文

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月28日

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  • D. Bal,
  • G. Keskin

摘要

Background

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of preterm birth on oral and dental health by employing various indexes and to investigate its impact on the prevalence of Early Childhood Caries (ECC) in relation to sociodemographic and dietary risk factors.

Methods

The study included 257 children (131 girls and 126 boys) aged 32 to 76 months who attended to the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, Faculty of Dentistry. Infants delivered at 36 weeks of gestation or before were classified as the “Preterm” group, whilst those born at 37 weeks or after were classified as the “Full-term” group. Sociodemographic, prenatal, and postnatal data, which may serve as possible risk factors for ECC, were recorded. Oral and dental health data were assessed utilizing the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS II), dmft index, gingival index (GI), and plaque index (PI). The acquired data were subjected to statistical analysis.

Results

The prevalence of ECC was 65.4% in full-term children and 65.3% in preterm children. No statistically significant difference was found between preterm and full-term children regarding the mean dmft value, ICDAS II classification, PI, GI, or the presence of ECC (p > 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that ECC was significantly associated with infrequent tooth brushing (adjusted OR = 0.469, 95% Cl = 0.225–0.981, p = 0.044), frequent sugary snack consumption (adjusted OR = 0.247, 95% Cl = 0.111–0.548, p = 0.001) and the use of sweetened pacifiers (adjusted OR = 0.141, 95% Cl = 0.022–0.909, p = 0.039). The absence of maternal caries was identified as a protective factor against ECC (adjusted OR = 0.558, 95% Cl = 0.326–0.954, p = 0.033). In addition, oral and dental health outcomes were influenced by a range of sociodemographic, maternal, and behavioral factors, including parental education level, maternal antibiotic use during pregnancy, breastfeeding status, and overall oral hygiene and dietary practices.

Conclusion

The data indicate that ECC is multifactorial and may be influenced by environmental, dietary, and individual factors, despite the absence of an association between ECC and preterm birth.