Obesity and dental caries in children aged 2-6 years in the United States: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002.

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the associations between obesity and dental caries in young children participating in a national survey.

METHODS: Participants included 1507 children aged 2-6 years who received dental examinations and had at least 10 primary teeth in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002. Decayed/filled teeth (dft) counts of primary dentition were obtained, and weight and height were measured. Body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) was calculated, and participants were categorized using age- and gender-specific criteria as underweight (<5th percent), normal (5th-85th percent), at risk for overweight (>85th and <95th percent), and overweight (> or =95th percent). With appropriate sample weighting, relationships between dft and BMI were assessed using the Kruskal-Wallis test and multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS: Seventy-four percent of children were classified as normal weight, 11 percent as at risk for overweight, and 11 percent as overweight; 58 percent did not have caries; 30 percent had 1-5 dft and 12 percent had >5 dft. When caries experience was compared across BMI categories stratified by age and race characteristics, statistically significant association between caries and obesity was found only for 60- <72-month age group. In the comparison between children with normal and at-risk BMI only, significant associations were also found in the Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black strata. In multivariable logistic regression models to predict caries experience, family income and age were statistically significant predictors for severe early childhood caries only.

CONCLUSIONS: There appears to be no significant association between childhood obesity and caries experience after controlling forage, race, and poverty/income ratio. However, further studies are needed to better understand this relationship.