Childhood Caries in 16 to 42 Months Old Venezuelan Infants

Introduction: No national caries survey of the primary dentition of children between 16 and 42 months of age has been carried out in Venezuela. A few local studies though have shown a high caries prevalence rate in this population (Ayala, 1998, Alvarez 2002). Objective: Purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the early childhood caries (ECC) experience of 16 to 42 month old children receiving fluoridated salt (180-200mgF/kg ) and 450ppm fluoride toothpaste. Methods: 104 children between 16 and 42 months were entered into this study. Consent forms were signed by their parents. The children were drawn from 10 public day cares centers and examined by one calibrated examiner. Caries was scored by the defs index method using criteria reported by Radike (1972) and modified by Acevedo et al (2005). Results: The percentage of children with ECC was 19.2% and the mean defs index was 1.08±3.90. Breaking the defs into three components it was observed that 1.22% of the total surfaces were carious, none of them were filled and neither indicated any extractions. The most affected teeth were the first primary molars followed respectively by the central and lateral incisors. Primary second molars and canines were least affected. In the posterior teeth, occlusal surfaces were affected more than other surfaces (P<0.05) whereas in the anteriors, facial lesions were affected most. No significant differences were observed when compared to lesions in inter proximal surfaces. Conclusion: Results showed early onset of caries of children in this age group. This suggests that in addition to fluoride use, early oral health attention is indicated, as well as effects to diagnosis incipient lesions. This study was supported by CDCH-UCV and the Colgate-Palmolive Company.