Dietary Habits Dietary Habits and Oral Health Practices among Children with Early Childhood Caries and Caries Free Children: A Case-Control Study

Background: Dietary habits and practices affect dental health. Objective: To determine the dietary habits and oral health practices among children with early childhood caries and caries-free children. Methodology: Study Design: Case-control study. Study setting and duration: Department of Operative Dentistry and Oral Pathology HBS Medical and Dental College, Islamabad, from November 2018 to September 2021. Sample of 212 children (106 cases, 106 controls) having either sex, ages between 2 to 5 years with minimum of 12 erupted teeth (including lost) were enrolled in this study. Children's clinical examination was done on dental chair using explorer and mouth mirror. Current study focused on the relationship between oral practices, feeding habits, and early childhood caries. Results: Two hundred and twelve children, 90 (42.45%) male were included. Among these 106 were caries-free and 106 had early childhood caries. Children having early childhood caries (ECC) were mostly firstborn, 72.38% in contrast with children without ECC, 55.24%. (p=0.005). Mean of the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) of children with early childhood caries was 5.2 (3.9). A greater number of children with ECC were observed to visit the dental doctor as compared to children without ECC (31.3% vs. 7.54%; p=0.0001). Brushing was observed in 61.32% of children having ECC and in children without ECC it was 69.81%, p=0.71. Conclusion: In this study, the use of bottle feeding among children with early childhood caries, along with delay in starting oral practices in the form of dentists visits and first birth orders was significantly associated with the development of Early Childhood Caries.