Effects of the intervention of the Multicenter Study IDEFICS on the prevalence of caries in Spanish children

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the effects of an intervention for the prevention of obesity on the prevalence of dental caries disease in Spanish children. Methods: Two cities participated intervention study nested in a cohort IDEFICS (Identification and prevention of dietary and lifestyle induced health effects in children and infants): Huesca, where there was a 2-year intervention, which encouraged less sugar consumption; and Zaragoza (control). The prevalence of caries was evaluated by examining the 1st permanent molars in the 7-11 age range, using the ICDAS (International Caries Detection and Assessment System). These teeth erupt at 6 years of age and at the baseline (2007-2008) were free of caries because they were not present in the oral cavity. As outcomes, white spots were selected, combining the ICDAS criteria 1 and 2, and untreated caries, combining criteria 4, 5 and 6. Their association with socioeconomic variables, BMI (Body Mass Index), frequency of sugar intake, sex and parents’ perceptions of their children, was investigated. To do so, the chi-square test was applied (p0.05). Conclusion: The intervention for the prevention of obesity did not exert any association with the prevalence of caries in Spanish children.

Keywords

• oral health
• dental caries
• obesity