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Evaluation of an interdisciplinary preventive programme for early childhood caries: findings of a regional German birth cohort study

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Abstract

Objectives

The aim of this prospective birth cohort study was to evaluate the effect of the interdisciplinary preventive programme (PP) for early childhood caries in 3-year-old children in Germany.

Material and methods

From July 2009 to October 2010, all parents of newborns (n = 1162) were visited after birth by the communal newborn visiting service of Jena, Thuringia, and advised on general and dental health. In the first year of life, children were invited to a dental examination in Jena University Hospital. Participating children were included in a risk-related recall system with continuous oral care over 3 years. Caries-risk assessment tool of the AAPD was used for risk categorizing. High-risk children received fluoride varnish biannual. In 2013, the total birth cohort (participants and non-participants) was invited to evaluate the PP. Dental caries was scored using WHO diagnostic criteria expanded to d1-level without radiography. Data were analysed statistically (multivariate logistic regression).

Results

Seven hundred fifty-five children (mean age 3.26 ± 0.51 years) were examined. Children in the PP (n = 377) showed significantly lower caries prevalence and experience than non-participants (15.6 vs. 37.8 %, 0.9 ± 3.3 d1-4mfs vs. 2.6 ± 5.2 d1-4mfs). Lack of vitamin D supplements (OR = 1.9, CI 0.99–3.51), familial caries experience (OR = 2.2, CI 1.27–3.73) and visible plaque on teeth (OR = 6.5, CI 4.41–9.43) were significant risk factors for caries development, whereas regular dental care (OR = 0.5, CI 0.38–0.79) had a protective effect.

Conclusions

The PP was an effective interdisciplinary approach for preventing early childhood caries in small children.

Clinical relevance

Early dental visits with caries-risk-related preventive dental care are necessary to prevent early childhood caries (ECC).

Trial registration

German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00003438, https://drks-neu.uniklinik-freiburg.de/drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00003438

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Acknowledgments

We thank the communal newborn visiting service (CNVS) of the Youth Welfare Office Jena, Germany, for the excellent cooperation. The study received financial and material support by Bamed AG, Wollerau, Switzerland, VOCO GmbH, Cuxhaven, Germany, MAM Babyartikel GmbH, Vienna, Austria, Procter & Gamble International Operations S.A., Petit-Lancy, Switzerland, Wrigley GmbH, Munich, Germany and the German Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (DGZMK), Germany. The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript. Both authors are responsible for reported research (concept and design, data analysis and interpretation, drafting and revising of the manuscript).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Preventive Dentistry and Pediatric Dentistry, Jena University Hospital, Bachstr. 18, Jena, Germany

    Yvonne Wagner & Roswitha Heinrich-Weltzien

Authors
  1. Yvonne Wagner
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  2. Roswitha Heinrich-Weltzien
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yvonne Wagner.

Ethics declarations

The Ethics Committee of Jena University Hospital approved this prospective cohort study (2759-02/10; German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00003438). This study was conducted with the informed consent of all caregivers and in full accordance with the ethical requirements of the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki (2008). This investigation complied with the recommendations of the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement guidelines.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Wagner, Y., Heinrich-Weltzien, R. Evaluation of an interdisciplinary preventive programme for early childhood caries: findings of a regional German birth cohort study. Clin Oral Invest 20, 1943–1952 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00784-015-1685-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00784-015-1685-z

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