Ethnic Differences in Habits and Dental Practices of Toddlers

Objective: Use a questionnaire to evaluate differences in dental-related habits and practices of Hispanic (H), Non-Hispanic-African-American (AA), and Non-Hispanic-Caucasian (W) toddlers. Methods: Caregivers of toddlers aged 16 to 36 months were administered a questionnaire with items related to demographics, access to care, oral bacteria transmission, dental and medical health and practices of the caregiver and child, and snacking and drinking habits of the caregiver and child. Comparisons among the three ethnic groups were performed using chi-square tests and ANOVAs. Results: 86 H, 192 AA, and 117 W children were enrolled in the study. Differences among ethnic groups were found in all sections of the questionnaire. H caregivers were significantly more likely to have breastfed the child (H 84%, W 58%, AA 53%) and less likely to put the child's pacifier in their own mouth (H 13%, W 30%, AA 38%), kiss the child on the lips (H 60%, AA 86%, W 91%), and share food or drinks with the child from the same plate or glass (H 65%, AA 88%, W 53%). AA children were least likely to use a sippy-cup (AA 67%, H 85%, W 88%). H children were most likely to drink water between meals (H 86%, W 68%, AA 68%) but also most likely to drink non-diet soft drinks between meals (H 29%, W 8%, AA 9%). W children were least likely to snack on candy, cake, chips, and ice cream between meals. H caregivers had significantly lower income, education, and were less likely to have private health insurance, while AA children were more likely to receive public health insurance. Conclusion: Differences were found among the three ethnic groups. Interventions may need to be targeted towards different aspects of dental care based on the characteristics of the study population. This study was supported by NIH-R21-DE16451-01.