scholarly journals Early childhood caries and oral health care of Hong Kong preschool children

2019 ◽  
Vol Volume 11 ◽  
pp. 27-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kitty Jieyi Chen ◽  
Sherry Shiqian Gao ◽  
Duangporn Duangthip ◽  
Edward Chin Man Lo ◽  
Chun Hung Chu
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 18-22
Author(s):  
Subhathira Rajasekaran ◽  
Sham S Bhat ◽  
Vidya Bhat ◽  
Sundeep Hegde K ◽  
Neha Thilak ◽  
...  

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Zhong ◽  
KN Ma ◽  
YS Wong ◽  
Y So ◽  
PC Lee ◽  
...  

Objective: Pregnancy gingivitis and early childhood caries remain prevalent in Hong Kong. The aim of this study was to assess pregnant women's knowledge and beliefs related to pregnancy gingivitis and children's oral health. Study design: An outreach survey was carried out in a clinic that provided antenatal examination. A written oral health questionnaire related to pregnancy gingivitis and early childhood caries was administered to pregnant women. Of the 106 pregnant women who enrolled in the study, 100 completed the questionnaires. Results: Among the 100 subjects, only 39% correctly identified that hormonal changes contribute to pregnancy gingivitis. Only 36% identified red and swollen gums as signs of gingivitis. Furthermore, 53% of the surveyed pregnant women were not sure about the amount of toothpaste to administer to a child aged 18 months to 5 years. Almost 50% assumed that a replanted avulsed tooth would probably not survive within a short extra-alveolar period of less than 60 minutes. Conclusion: Prenatal women generally lack knowledge of a common oral disease that occurs during pregnancy and of what constitutes adequate oral health care for children. Oral health care education should be implemented as part of a prenatal care program.


2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 411-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin Xiao ◽  
Naemah Alkhers ◽  
Dorota T. Kopycka-Kedzierawski ◽  
Ronald J. Billings ◽  
Tong Tong Wu ◽  
...  

Despite the advancement of early childhood caries (ECC) prediction and treatment, ECC remains a significant public health burden in need of more effective preventive strategies. Pregnancy is an ideal period to promote ECC prevention given the profound influence of maternal oral health and behaviors on children’s oral health. However, studies have shown debatable results with respect to the effectiveness of ECC prevention by means of prenatal intervention. Therefore, this study systematically reviewed the scientific evidence relating to the association between prenatal oral health care, ECC incidence, and Streptococcus mutans carriage in children. Five studies (3 randomized control trials, 1 prospective cohort study, and 1 nested case-control study) were included for qualitative assessment. Tested prenatal oral health care included providing fluoride supplements, oral examinations/cleanings, oral health education, dental treatment referrals, and xylitol gum chewing. Four studies that assessed ECC incidence reduction were included in meta-analysis using an unconditional generalized linear mixed effects model with random study effects and age as a covariate. The estimated odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals suggested a protective effect of prenatal oral health care against ECC onset before 4 years of age: 0.12 (0.02, 0.77) at 1 year of age, 0.18 (0.05, 0.63) at 2 years of age, 0.25 (0.09, 0.64) at 3 years of age, and 0.35 (0.12, 1.00) at 4 years of age. Children’s S. mutans carriage was also significantly reduced in the intervention group. Future studies should consider testing strategies that restore an expectant mother’s oral health to a disease-free state during pregnancy.


Author(s):  
Faith Miaomiao Zheng ◽  
Iliana Gehui Yan ◽  
Duangporn Duangthip ◽  
Sherry Shiqian Gao ◽  
Edward Chin Man Lo ◽  
...  

This cross-sectional survey investigated untreated early childhood caries (ECC) and its associated factors among 5-year-old children in Hong Kong. Children were recruited using a multistage sampling method. One dentist examined the children in kindergarten to diagnose untreated ECC (dt) at the cavitation level. Each child’s demographic information, snacking behaviour, and oral health-related practice were collected using a parental questionnaire. The relationships between the untreated ECC and demographic information, snacking behaviours, and oral health-–related practice were analysed by zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression analysis. This survey recruited 404 children. Their dt score was 2.8 ± 3.8. The significant untreated ECC (SiUC) index, which was one-third of the children with the highest dt score, was 7.1 ± 3.6. Their untreated ECC prevalence was 57%, which was associated with the district the child lived in. Most children with untreated ECC (71%, 164/231) had never visited a dentist. Children who brushed without toothpaste had more untreated ECC. Children coming from low-income families and with a lower maternal education level had a higher risk of ECC. In conclusion, untreated ECC was prevalent and unevenly distributed among 5-year-old children in Hong Kong. Its prevalence was associated with toothpaste use, family income, maternal education level and the district they lived in.


2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Aswathi Sreedharan ◽  
Faizal CP ◽  
Chandru TP

<p><strong>Background:</strong> Early childhood caries (ECC) is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions among children. Lack of proper Parental knowledge regarding feeding practices will have a deleterious effect on child oral health.</p><p><strong>Objective:</strong> The purpose of the study was to assess the prevalence of ECC and parental knowledge regarding feeding practices in young children.</p><p><strong>Methods:</strong> 500 preschool children aged between 36-60 months, were selected from twenty schools. The children’s were examined at the respective schools to determine the presence or absence of caries by using WHO criteria .A structured questionnaire was provided to 500 parents of the respective school children examined to assess their knowledge regarding feeding practices and oral hygiene measures in preschool children for prevention of ECC</p><p><strong>Result:</strong> The results of the children examined and the parent surveyed were tabulated and statistically analyzed by using chi-square test. The result showed that the prevalence rate of ECC among 500 children surveyed were about 56.3%.The knowledge regarding the feeding practices and oral hygiene measures overall was found to be 56.5%</p><p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> The prevalence of ECC was relatively high among the preschool children. The feeding practices and oral hygiene measures among parents was more off supporting the promotion of ECC. More emphasis should be given regarding introduction of oral hygiene practice from the first year of child’s life and also to conduct public awareness programme to achieve optimum oral health care in children.</p>


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 146-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
B.D. Meyer ◽  
R. Wang ◽  
M.J. Steiner ◽  
J.S. Preisser

Background: Despite early evidence touting the effectiveness of physician-provided oral health services (POHS), recent evidence suggests these services might have little impact on caries-related outcomes in children. General anesthesia (GA) is often used to treat early childhood caries and may be considered the most extreme utilization outcome. We sought to assess the impact of POHS utilization on dental GA utilization and expenditures. Methods: We used the Medicaid claims of a birth cohort of children born in 2008 in North Carolina ( N = 32,558) to determine the impact of POHS on dental utilization and expenditures under GA for individual children. Children were followed until their eighth birthday. We analyzed the association of the number of prior POHS visits with visit-specific outcomes of dental treatment under GA using population-averaged models fit with generalized estimating equations with exchangeable working correlation structure. Results: Children with 2 or more previous POHS visits had reduced odds of GA (odds ratio [OR] = 0.93; confidence interval [CI], 0.87–0.99; P = 0.029) and expenditures ($114; CI,−$152.61 to −$75.19; P < 0.001) compared to those without physician-provided oral health visits, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and geographic residence. Dental expenditures did not differ between POHS and non-POHS subjects at non-GA visits. Conclusions: POHS decreased the odds of having dental GA treatment and dental expenditures at GA visits. The role of physicians in oral health care can reduce the impact on the most severe outcome—treatment under general anesthesia. Knowledge Transfer Statement: The results of this study have important financial implications for state Medicaid programs and disease management programs trying to mitigate the costs of treating early childhood caries under general anesthesia. Children who receive physician oral health care are less likely to use and more likely to save money on general anesthesia to complete dental treatment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jieyi Chen ◽  
Duangporn Duangthip ◽  
Sherry Shiqian Gao ◽  
Fang Huang ◽  
Robert Anthonappa ◽  
...  

Aim: Early childhood caries (ECC) has significant public health implications but has received inadequate global attention. There is limited information regarding the success of oral health policies implemented to address the challenges of ECC. This review aimed to summarize such policies to tackle ECC from different countries/regions.Method: Independent collaborators from 14 countries/regions (Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Japan, Nigeria, Thailand, UK, USA, and Venezuela) collected the data. The ECC status, dental workforce, oral health policies on ECC prevention in different countries/regions were summarized by each country.Results: The findings indicated that ECC prevalence varied in different countries/regions. The lowest prevalence of ECC among 5-year-old children was found in Nigeria (7%), and the highest was found in Indonesia (90%). The existing dental workforce and resources are limited in most countries. The smallest dentist to population ratio was reported by Nigeria at 1:48,400, whereas the highest ratio was in Brazil (1:600). Out of 14, three (21%) countries namely India, Venezuela and Cambodia had no national oral health policies addressing ECC and four (29%) countries (Cambodia, China, India, Venezuela) had no publicly funded dental care program for 0–5-year-old children. Water fluoridation is available in four countries/regions (Australia, Brazil, Hong Kong, USA).Conclusion: ECC remains a global health challenge and dental workforce is limited. National/regional programs to tackle ECC are not yet prioritized in many countries/regions. Evidence to support demonstration projects is limited. Further research on the cost-effectiveness of interventions strategies is required for policymakers.


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