Dietary practices among children with early childhood caries and the associated factors: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Parents play a vital role in their children's dietary habits. A comprehensive understanding of the perspectives of parents of children with early childhood caries (ECC) is required for prevention program planning. AIM: To describe the parental perspective of the dietary habits of children with ECC. DESIGN: In this descriptive qualitative study, the participants were parents of children with ECC receiving routine dental care. Data were collected through focus groups using an interview guide. Data were analyzed manually using the content analysis method. RESULTS: Five focus groups involving 27 participants were conducted. Two main categories emerged: cariogenic food literacy and factors that affect food choices. Most of the participants knew that sugary foods are responsible for tooth decay. Parents felt that children's snacking habits were influenced by multiple factors, such as family environment, peers, commercials on television or the Internet, and affordability of food. CONCLUSIONS: Parents are not able to translate their knowledge into action to modify their children's diet as they may lack self-efficacy and feel pressured by their children, the media and the environment in which they live. Motivational interviewing of parents and governmental and school policies to reduce sugary food consumption may be required.

Association of parental food choice motives, attitudes, and sugar exposure in the diet with early childhood caries: Case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Parents can affect their children's diet by making some food components more accessible. Food choice motives and attitudes of the parents toward sugary food may influence children's diet.The aim of the study is to investigate the association of parental food choice motives, attitudes toward sugar consumption, and dietary sugar exposure with early childhood caries (ECC). SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This case-control study involved 200 children, aged 3-5 years with an equal number of cases (with ECC) and controls (without ECC), based on the WHO-decay-missing-filled teeth index criteria for dental caries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data for parental food choice motives and attitudes toward sugar consumption were obtained using questionnaire answered by their parents, and the dietary sugar exposure was calculated using a 24 h diet chart. Data were analyzed with multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: Most parents (99.5%) considered "maintaining health and nutrition" as an important criterion, above 85% parents thought "mood of the child," "child likes and dislikes," "sensory appeal of the food item," "natural foods," "quality of the food," and "weight control" criteria important while selecting food items, with no significant difference between cases and controls. About 61% of the cases considered buying food based on convenience is important, as compared to 47% controls, and the difference was significant. Cases and controls did not differ in attitudes toward sugar consumption. Sugar exposure was significantly higher among the cases. CONCLUSION: High dietary sugar exposure is associated with ECC. Parents of children with ECC are likely to buy foods for their children based on convenience and availability.

Comparison of the efficacy of parental brushing using powered versus manual tooth brush: A randomized, four-period, two-treatment, single-blinded crossover study.

BACKGROUND: Children <5 years of age need parental assistance with tooth brushing. PURPOSE: The aim is to compare the efficacy of manual and powered toothbrushes for plaque removal when used by parents to brush their children's teeth. METHODS: This randomized, four-period, two-treatment, examiner-blinded, crossover clinical trial comprised children aged 3-5 years. Tooth brushing was performed by the parent using a manual or powered toothbrush. Pre- and post-brushing plaque assessments were performed using the Turesky Modified Quigley-Hein Plaque Index. Differences in plaque scores were calculated using the paired t-test. RESULTS: A significant difference (P < 0.001) in the reduction of the plaque score was observed between the manual and powered tooth brushing groups. CONCLUSION: Powered toothbrushes performed significantly better than manual toothbrushes in terms of plaque removal when used by parents to brush their child's teeth.

Remineralizing Effectiveness of Calcium Sucrose Phosphate and Fluoride Dentifrices: An In vitro Study.

CONTEXT: Dentifrices-containing remineralizing agents are known to be effective in remineralization of early enamel lesions. AIMS: This study aimed to compare and evaluate the changes in surface roughness, surface morphology, and mineral content of demineralized enamel lesion after treatment with dentifrices-containing sodium monofluorophosphate, amine fluoride, and Anticay® (calcium sucrose phosphate with inorganic amorphous calcium phosphate). SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This was an in vitro study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Eighteen extracted maxillary molars were decoronated and sectioned into four to obtain 72 specimens. Specimens were demineralized and randomly divided into four different test groups: Group A: no treatment (control), Group B: sodium monofluorophosphate dentifrice (Colgate), Group C: amine fluoride dentifrice (Amflor), Group D: Anticay® dentifrice (EnaFix) and subjected to pH-cycling for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks, they were assessed using a profilometer and scanning electron microscope (SEM)-energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) for changes in surface roughness, surface morphology, and mineral content. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Intergroup comparison was done using repeated measures ANOVA. RESULTS: Intergroup comparison revealed no significant difference in surface roughness and mineral content after remineralization between the groups. SEM images showed mineral deposition in all the dentifrice groups obliterating the defects caused due to demineralization. CONCLUSIONS: Sodium monofluorophosphate, amine fluoride-containing dentifrices, and calcium sucrose phosphate with inorganic amorphous calcium phosphate-containing dentifrice were found equivocal in their remineralizing effectiveness of early enamel lesions.