Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The influence of dental caries on body growth in prepubertal children

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Clinical Oral Investigations Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Dental decay and dental treatment are suggested to be related to body growth in children. The aim of this study was first to assess the relation between dental caries and body proportions cross-sectionally in a Suriname caries child population and secondly to investigate whether dental treatment had a significant influence on body growth of these children in a randomised controlled trial using different treatment strategies. Three hundred eighty 6-year-old children with untreated dental decay participated in the study. Caries prevalence and presence of dentogenic infections were recorded. All children were randomly assigned to four different treatment groups ranging from full dental treatment to no invasive treatment at all. Body growth was evaluated by children’s height, weight and body mass index. Participants were evaluated after 6 months and 1, 2 and 3 years. Cross-sectionally, negative correlations were observed between anthropometric measures and the number of untreated carious surfaces and caries experience of the children. Next, no significant differences in growth pattern between the treatment groups were observed. Based on these results, it is suggested that caries activity is a negative predictor for body growth in children and dental intervention does not show significant improvement within 3 years.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Garcia RI, Henshaw MM, Kall EA (2000–2001) Relationship between periodontal disease and systemic health. Periodontology 25:21–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Li X, Kolltveit KM, Tronstad L, Olsen I (2000) Systemic diseases caused by oral infection. Clin Microbiol Rev 13:547–558

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Petersen PE, Bourgeois D, Ogawa H, Estupinan-Day S, Ndiaye C (2005) The global burden of oral diseases and risks to oral health. Bull World Health Organ 83:661–669

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Beck JD, Slade G, Offenbacher S (2000) Oral disease, cardiovascular disease and systemic inflammation. Periodontology 23:110–120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Drangsholt MT (1998) A new causal model of dental disease associated with endocarditis. Ann Periodontol 3:184–196

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Glurich I, Grossi S, Albini B, Ho A, Shah R, Zeid M, Baumann H, Genco RJ, De Nardin E (2002) Systemic inflammation in cardiovascular and periodontal disease: a comparative study. Clin Diagn Lab Immunol 9:425–432

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Loesche WJ, Schork A, Terpenning MS, Chen YM, Dominguez BL, Grossman N (1998) Assessing the relationship between dental disease and coronary heart disease in elderly U.S. veterans. J Am Dent Assoc 129:301–311

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Mojon P (2002) Oral health and respiratory infection. J Can Dent Assoc 68:340–345

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Balfour S (2007) Bacteria in Crohn’s disease mechanisms of inflammation and therapeutic implications. J Clin Gastroenterol 41:S37–S43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. de Sa AR, Moreira PR, Xavier GM, Sampaio I, Kalapothakis E, Dutra WO, Gomez RS (2007) Association of CD14, IL1B, IL6, IL10 and TNFA functional gene polymorphisms with symptomatic dental abscesses. Int Endod J 40:563–572

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Pietruska M, Zak J, Pietruski J, Wysocka J (2006) Evaluation of mCD14 expression on monocytes and the blood level of sCD14 in patients with generalized aggressive periodontitis. Adv Med Sci 51(Suppl 1):166–169

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Tetley TD (2005) Inflammatory cells and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Curr Drug Targets Inflamm Allergy 4:607–618

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. de Soet JJ, Schriks MCM, Kratz E, Poland DCW, van Dijk W, van Amerongen WE (2003) Dental caries related to plasma IgG and alpha1-acid glycoprotein. Caries Res 37:79–84

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Hahn CL, Liewehr FR (2007) Update on the adaptive immune responses of the dental pulp. J Endod 33:773–781

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Kim SA, Lim SS (2002) T lymphocyte subpopulations and interleukin-2, interferon-gamma, and interleukin-4 in rat pulpitis experimentally induced by specific bacteria. J Endod 28:202–205

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Duggal MS, Nooh A, High A (2002) Response of the primary pulp to inflammation: a review of the Leeds studies and challenges for the future. Eur J Paediatr Dent 3:111–114

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Skogedal O, Tronstad L (1977) An attempt to correlate dentin and pulp changes in human carious teeth. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol 43:135–140

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. de Onis M, Blössner M (2003) The World Health Organization global database on child growth and malnutrition: methodology and applications. Int J Epidemiol 32:518–526

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Bhutta ZA (2006) Effect of infections and environmental factors on growth and nutritional status in developing countries. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 43(suppl):513–521

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Mata LJ, Urrutia JJ, Albertazzi C, Pellecee O, Arellano E (1972) Influence of recurrent infection on nutrition and growth of children in Guatemala. Am J Clin Nutr 25:1267–1275

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Acs G, Lodolini G, Kaminsky S, Cisneros GJ (1992) Effect of nursing caries on body weight in a pediatric population. Pediatr Dent 14:302–305

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Acs G, Lodolini G, Shulman R, Chussid S (1998) The effect of dental rehabilitation on the body weight of children with failure to thrive: case reports. Compend Contin Educ Dent 19:164–171

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Acs G, Shulman R, Wai Hg M, Chussid S (1999) The effect of dental rehabilitation on the body weight of children with early childhood caries. Pediatr Dent 21:109–113

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Ayhan H, Suskan E, Yildirim S (1996) The effect of nursing or rampant caries on height, body weight and head circumference. J Clin Pediatr Dent 20:209–212

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Elice CE, Fields HW (1990) Failure to thrive: review of the literature, case report, and implications for dental treatment. Pediatr Dent 12:185–189

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Nicolau B, Marcenes W, Allison P, Sheiham A (2005) The life course approach: explaining the association between height and dental caries in Brazilian adolescents. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 33:93–98

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Thomas CW, Primosch RE (2002) Changes in incremental weight and well-being of children with rampant caries following complete dental rehabilitation. Pediatr Dent 24:109–113

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Alvarez JO, Caceda J, Woolley TW, Carley KW, Biaocchi N, Caravedo L, Navia JM (1993) A longitudinal study of dental caries in primary teeth of children who suffered from infant malnutrition. J Dent Res 72:1573–1576

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Diehnelt DE, Kiyak HA (2001) Socioeconomic factors that affect international caries levels. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 29:226–233

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Gray MM, Davies-Slowik J (2001) Changes in the percentage of 5-year-old children with no experience of decay in Dudley towns since implementation of fluoridation schemes in 1987. Br Dent J 190:30–32

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Haugejorden O, Birkeland JM (2002) Evidence for reversal of the caries decline among Norwegian children. Int J Paediatr Dent 12:306–315

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Jamieson LM, Thomson WM, McGee R (2004) Caries prevalence and severity in urban Fijian school children. Int J Paediatr Dent 14:34–40

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Marthaler TM, O’Mullane DM, Vrbic V (1996) Symposium report: the prevalence of dental caries in Europe 1990–1995. Caries Res 30:237–255

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Miura H, Araki Y, Haraguchi K, Arai Y, Umenai T (1997) Socioeconomic factors and dental caries in developing countries: a cross-national study. Soc Sci Med 44:269–272

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Pakhomov GN (1999) Future trends in oral health and disease. Int Dent J 49:27–32

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Pilot T (1988) Trends in oral health: a global perspective. N Z Dent J 84:40–45

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Reich E (2001) Trends in caries and periodontal health epidemiology in Europe. Int Dent J 51:392–398

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Speechley M, Johnston DW (1996) Some evidence from Ontario, Canada, of a reversal in dental caries decline. Caries Res 30:423–427

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. van der Crabben SN, Heymans HAS, van Kempen AAMW, Holman R, Sauerwein HP (2004) Qualitative malnutrition due to incorrect complementary feeding in Bush Negro children in Suriname. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 148:1093–1097 (in Dutch)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. van Gemert-Schriks MCM, Amerongen WE, ten Cate JM (2009) Caries prevalence and oral health in Surinam schoolchildren. Community Dent Health 26:116–120

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. World Health Organization (1997) Oral health surveys: basic methods, 3rd edn. World health Organization, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  42. Burgemeijer RJF, Fredriks AM, van Buuren S, Verloove-Vanhorick SP, Wit JM (1998) Dutch growth charts. Manual for children’s growth registration and use of growth charts. Bohn Safleu van Loghum, Houten (in Dutch)

    Google Scholar 

  43. Fredriks AM, van Buuren S, Wit JM, Verloove-Vanhorick SP (2000) Body index measurements in 1996–7 compared with 1980. Arch Dis Child 82:107–112

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Gerver WJM, de Bruin R (1996) Paediatric morphometrics: a reference manual. Bunge, Utrecht (in Dutch)

    Google Scholar 

  45. van Buuren S, Fredriks M (2001) Worm plot: a simple diagnostic device for modelling growth reference curves. Stat Med 20:1259–1277

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Cohen J (1988) Statistical power analysis for the behavioural sciences, 2nd edn. Erlbaum, Mahwah, pp 102–384

    Google Scholar 

  47. Frencken JE, Pilot T, Songpaisan Y, Phantumvanit P (1996) Atraumatic restorative treatment (ART): rationale, technique and development. J Public Health Dent 56:135–140

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Low W, Tan S, Schwartz S (1999) The effect of severe caries on the quality of life in young children. Pediatr Dent 21:325–326

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Moslemi M (2004) An epidemiological survey of the tome and sequence of eruption of permanent teeth in 4–15-year-olds in Tehran, Iran. Int J Paediatr Dent 14:432–438

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Uauy R (2007) Academic–industry partnerships in addressing nutrition–[Infection–immunity–inflammation] interactions. Br J Nutr 98:S17–S23

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. Uauy R, Kain J, Mericq V, Rojas J, Corvalán C (2008) Nutrition, child growth and chronic disease prevention. Ann Med 40:11–20

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Walker SP, Wachs TD, Gardner JM, Lozoff B, Wasserman GA, Pollitt E, Carter JA, International Child Development Steering Group (2007) Child development: risk factors for adverse outcomes in developing countries. Lancet 369:145–157

    Article  Google Scholar 

  53. Marthaler TM, Møller IJ, von de Fehr FR (1990) Symposium report: caries status in Europe and predictions of future trends. Caries Res 24:381–396

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Netherlands Institute of Dental Sciences (IOT), the Netherlands Foundation for the advancement of Tropical Research (WOTRO), the Foundation “De Drie Lichten” in The Netherlands and 3M-ESPE. Furthermore, the authors would like to thank the director of the Surinam Ministry of Health and the Medical Mission of Suriname for their intensive and enthusiastic cooperation, the provision of all facilities and their inspiring input.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cariology Endodontology Pedodontology, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), Louwesweg 1, 1066 EA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Martine C. M. van Gemert-Schriks, Evert W. van Amerongen & Jacob M. ten Cate

  2. Department of Social Dentistry and Behavioural Sciences, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Irene H. A. Aartman

  3. Department of Paediatrics, St. Lucas Andreas Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Johanna M. B. Wennink

  4. Department of Oral Microbiology, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Johnannes J. de Soet

Authors
  1. Martine C. M. van Gemert-Schriks
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Evert W. van Amerongen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Irene H. A. Aartman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Johanna M. B. Wennink
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jacob M. ten Cate
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Johnannes J. de Soet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Martine C. M. van Gemert-Schriks.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

van Gemert-Schriks, M.C.M., van Amerongen, E.W., Aartman, I.H.A. et al. The influence of dental caries on body growth in prepubertal children. Clin Oral Invest 15, 141–149 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00784-010-0380-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00784-010-0380-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation