Dental caries and food practices among children attending daycare centers in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Objective The present study investigated associations between the prevalence of dental caries and introduction of complementary foods in children aged 11 to 34 months attending daycare centers. Methods This cross-sectional study included 288 children from eight daycare centers in Sao Paulo, 2007. The modified decay-missing-filled index, used for diagnosis, was investigated by a team of three trained dentists aiming at precision and accuracy. Food introduction was assessed using a pre-codified and pre-tested questionnaire. The Chi-square test was used to quantify associations and logistic regression models (p<0.05) were adjusted for multivariate analysis. Results The sample consisted of 228 children aged 11 to 34 months (M=24 months, SD=6.02). Of these, 53.9% were male and 57.45% attended philanthropic daycare centers. Seventy-seven percent of the sample had modified decay-missing-filled index 1 and the average modified decay-missing-filled index of the population is 3.8. Significant risk factors according to modified decay-missing-filled index were being male (OR=1.815, p=0.03) and paternal formal education of less than eight years (OR=1.94, p=0.02). The logistic regression model identified the exposure to simple carbohydrates as an independent risk factor, after controlling for the effects of sex and parental educational. Such exposure increased the chances of having modified decay-missing-filled index 1 by 2.5 times. Conclusion Special attention should be given to this group of individuals, implementing preventive policies in oral health and building healthy food habits in daycare centers.