The role of early dietary habits in dental caries development. 1998

A I Ismail
Department of Dental Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is a serious dental condition that occurs during the first three years of life and is associated with the early intake of sugary foods, drinks, or snacks. There is now evidence that early malnutrition episodes could lead to delay in the eruption of primary teeth and possibly to increased caries prevalence. Significant correlations are present between the intakes of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats during infancy and several years later in life. Infants' dietary intake is also significantly correlated with the dietary intake of their mothers. Supplementing milk with vitamins during the first several years of life leads to reduction in the prevalence of linear enamel hypoplasia, a condition that may be associated with future development of dental caries. There are equivocal findings concerning the value of using dietary habits to predict caries incidence during the first three years of life. There is a need for development of educational, nutritional, and prevention programs targeting mothers and infants and for research on effective methods to prevent Early Childhood Caries.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007223 Infant A child between 1 and 23 months of age. Infants
D007228 Infant Nutrition Disorders Disorders caused by nutritional imbalance, either overnutrition or undernutrition, occurring in infants ages 1 month to 24 months. Infant Malnutrition,Malnutrition, Infant,Nutrition Disorders, Infant,Infant Overnutrition,Infantile Malnutrition,Malnutrition in Infant,Infant Nutrition Disorder,Malnutrition in Infants,Malnutrition, Infantile,Nutrition Disorder, Infant,Overnutrition, Infant
D010290 Parents Persons functioning as natural, adoptive, or substitute parents. The heading includes the concept of parenthood as well as preparation for becoming a parent. Step-Parents,Parental Age,Parenthood Status,Stepparent,Age, Parental,Ages, Parental,Parent,Parental Ages,Status, Parenthood,Step Parents,Step-Parent,Stepparents
D002149 Energy Intake Total number of calories taken in daily whether ingested or by parenteral routes. Caloric Intake,Calorie Intake,Intake, Calorie,Intake, Energy
D002675 Child, Preschool A child between the ages of 2 and 5. Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D003731 Dental Caries Localized destruction of the tooth surface initiated by decalcification of the enamel followed by enzymatic lysis of organic structures and leading to cavity formation. If left unchecked, the cavity may penetrate the enamel and dentin and reach the pulp. Caries, Dental,Carious Lesions,Dental Cavities,Dental Cavity,Dental Decay,Dental White Spots,Carious Dentin,Decay, Dental,Dental White Spot,White Spot, Dental,White Spots, Dental,Carious Dentins,Carious Lesion,Cavities, Dental,Cavity, Dental,Dentin, Carious,Dentins, Carious,Lesion, Carious,Lesions, Carious,Spot, Dental White,Spots, Dental White
D003744 Dental Enamel Hypoplasia An acquired or hereditary condition due to deficiency in the formation of tooth enamel (AMELOGENESIS). It is usually characterized by defective, thin, or malformed DENTAL ENAMEL. Risk factors for enamel hypoplasia include gene mutations, nutritional deficiencies, diseases, and environmental factors. Enamel Hypoplasia,Enamel Agenesis,Enamel Hypoplasia, Dental,Hypoplasia, Dental Enamel,Hypoplastic Enamel,Agenesis, Enamel,Enamel Ageneses,Enamel Hypoplasias,Enamel, Hypoplastic,Hypoplasia, Enamel
D004037 Diet, Cariogenic A consistent pattern of food and drink consumption that contributes to the development and advancement of DENTAL CARIES. Cariogenic Diet,Cariogenic Diets,Diets, Cariogenic
D005247 Feeding Behavior Behavioral responses or sequences associated with eating including modes of feeding, rhythmic patterns of eating, and time intervals. Dietary Habits,Eating Behavior,Faith-based Dietary Restrictions,Feeding Patterns,Feeding-Related Behavior,Food Habits,Diet Habits,Eating Habits,Behavior, Eating,Behavior, Feeding,Behavior, Feeding-Related,Behaviors, Eating,Behaviors, Feeding,Behaviors, Feeding-Related,Diet Habit,Dietary Habit,Dietary Restriction, Faith-based,Dietary Restrictions, Faith-based,Eating Behaviors,Eating Habit,Faith based Dietary Restrictions,Faith-based Dietary Restriction,Feeding Behaviors,Feeding Pattern,Feeding Related Behavior,Feeding-Related Behaviors,Food Habit,Habit, Diet,Habit, Dietary,Habit, Eating,Habit, Food,Habits, Diet,Pattern, Feeding,Patterns, Feeding,Restrictions, Faith-based Dietary
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man

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