One hundred thirty-three farm worker children with an average age of 17 months participated in a study of a fluoride varnish in WIC programs in the Yakima Valley of Central Washington. After parents were interviewed, the child was examined and a fluoride varnish applied to the maxillary incisors. At the six-month recall 62 children and their parents returned. Results indicated a significant decrease in decalcification from 35 percent to 21 percent and an increase in decay from 3 percent to 16 percent. The rate of decay was lower than the 30 percent found in this age-group in this population. Of 130 sound teeth at baseline, 13 percent were decayed or decalcified in six months; of 73 decalcified teeth at baseline, 51 percent were found to be sound in six months. Additional experimentation with fluoride varnish is warranted.

Bottle Feeding↗

PubMedDate not supplied

White spots caries in Mexican-American toddlers and parental preference for various strategies.

One hundred and thirty Mexican-American children ages nine to thirty-four months (Mean = 17.1 months), and their parents/caretakers were studied at a farmworkers clinic in rural Washington. Parents/caretakers participated in a bilingual interview; then each child received a dental examination, and a cotton swab was used to collect plaque for a caries activity test (Cariostat). Results showed that 7 percent had at least one maxillary incisor decayed and 30.4 percent had at least one incisor with a white spot lesion. The Cariostat was related to dental age, but not to disease. Forty percent of the parents/caretakers whose children had disease were aware of the problem. Immediate substitution of cup for bottle and the elimination of extra nighttime feedings were the least likely interventions endorsed by the subjects. Other interventions, including periodic visits for fluoride applications were much more likely.

Age Determination by Teeth↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Pain management in school-aged children by private and public clinic practice dentists.

A mail survey of 198 Seattle dentists who treat children assessed their beliefs about pain control in school-aged children and examined the relationship of those beliefs to pain management behaviors. The survey population of general dentists and pediatric dentists in clinics and private practice had a response rate of 89.6%. Two of three dentists always use local anesthetic when doing restorations or extractions and also provide more anesthetic at the child's request. One in three dentists never provides postoperative medication following tooth extractions. Ten percent regularly deny child pain and many do not believe child pain reports are valid. Dentists who work in private practice are more likely to provide local anesthetic than are dentists who work in clinics. Dentists who desire more control over a child are less likely to provide local anesthetic. Dentists who question children about comfort are more likely to provide additional anesthetic based on a child's report of discomfort and to provide postoperative medication if the dentist perceives a dental procedure to be painful.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A prospective study of the feeding and brushing practices of WIC mothers: six- and twelve-month data and ethnicity and familial variables.

This study, part of a project that provided a baby cup to WIC children in Washington State, reports the feeding and brushing behaviors at six and twelve months and the influence of cultural and familial variables. Results show there are large differences in feeding and brushing practices among ethnic groups, i.e., Asian mothers reported the greatest reliance on the bottle at twelve months. Marital status was related to feeding practices, i.e., single women were more likely to put the baby to bed with a bottle at six and twelve months and were more likely to use a cup at twelve months. The presence of additional children at home was related to infrequent brushing and lower rates of cup use at twelve months. Awareness of ethnic and familial variables such as marital status and number of children may be useful in formulating specific recommendations when counseling mothers and other caretakers.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Early childhood caries and risk factors in rural Puerto Rican children.

A sample of 167 Puerto Rican children whose ages ranged from six months to forty-seven months (mean = 23 months) were studied. Children were examined for Early Childhood Caries with light and mirror and a structured interview was administered to parents and caretakers to identify risk factors. Results indicated that only 37.4 percent of the children were free of decalcification lesions or frank decay. While 53.9 percent of the children had lesions on maxillary incisors, 40.0 percent had molars affected by decalcification lesions and caries. Analysis of risk factors indicate that giving the baby a bottle when crying at night, number of adults and children in the family, use of fluoridated dentifrice, and age of the child were associated with the caries process in these children. Bottle and breast feeding, per se, were not risk factors. Disease patterns suggest other dietary risk factors, such as frequent snacking on food/drinks with sugar.

Adult↗