Effect of an infant oral health educational program for caries prevention

Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is a prevalent health problem in South Texas. Knowledge and prevention of ECC can be increased with mothers at WIC (Kanellis, 1997). Since 1997, mothers and children 0-12 months of age have participated at the Infant Oral Health Educational Program (IOHEP). Objectives:  One of the objectives of this study was to evaluate the effect of the IOHEP at WIC on caries prevention. One hundred twenty children aged 1-5 years participated in the study.  Methods: Children were examined by a single examiner previously standardized using the WHO diagnostic criteria for caries and evaluation for white caries lesions limited to enamel. Results: The population was predominantly  Hispanic96.7 % (116/120) living in a non-fluoridated area.  The prevalence of caries in the study was 23.3% (28/120). Forty-one (34.2%) of the parents had participated (PP) in the IOHEP 1-3 years previously and 79 (65.8%) of the parents had not participated (PNP). The participation of the parents in the IOHEP was highly associated with fewer enamel caries lesions and lower caries prevalence.  The PP group had a mean deft 0.37, defs 1.22,and mean number of enamel lesions of 1.93. The PNP group had a deft 1.23 (p=0.043), defs 2.97 (p=0.216), and enamel lesions 4.05 (p=0.005). Children whose parents had brushed their child’s teeth with fluoride toothpaste had lower prevalence of caries than those who did not (p=0.007). Conclusions: This study supports the hypothesis that infant oral educational programs directed to the parents can have a positive impact on the prevention of ECC.