The Effect of Nutritional Status on the Age Distribution of Dental Caries in the Primary Teeth

Abstract

A cross-sectional study of dental caries in the primary teeth as a function of nutritional status was conducted on 1481 children one to 13 years old in Lima, Peru. Forty-one percent of the children were found to be chronically malnourished (stunted), 3% were acutely malnourished (wasted), and 5% were both stunted and wasted. A plot of decayed, extracted, and filled teeth (deft) vs. age resulted in a bell-shaped curve that was shifted to the right by 2.5 years for malnourished groups, compared with normal children (p<0.01). The shift to the right of the age distribution of caries was associated with a delay in both the eruption and exfoliation of the primary teeth in malnourished children. Peak caries activity was significantly higher in wasted and in stunted and wasted children, when compared with normal controls. It is concluded that malnutrition delayed tooth development, affected the age distribution of dental caries, and resulted in increased caries experience in the primary teeth.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Alvarez, J.O. ; Lewis, C.A. ; Saman, C. ; Caceda, J. ; Mon-Talvo, J. ; Figueroa, M.L. ; Izquierdo, J. ; Caravedo, L. ; and Navia, J. (1988): Chronic Malnutrition, Dental Caries, and Tooth Exfoliation in Peruvian Children Aged 3-9 Years, Am J Clin Nutr 48:368-372.

Alvarez, J.O. and Navia, J.M. (1989): Nutritional Status, Tooth Eruption, and Dental Caries: A Review, Am J Clin Nutr 49 :417-426.

Aponte-Merced, L. and Navia, J.M. (1980): Preeruptive Protein Malnutrition and Acid Solubility of Rat Molar Enamel Surfaces, Arch Oral Biol 25:701-705.

Arvystas, M.G. (1976): Familial Generalized Eruption of the Dentition with Short Stature, Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol 41:235-243.

Barrett, M.J. and Brown, T. (1966): Eruption of Deciduous Teeth in Australian Aborigines , Aust Dent J 11:43-50.

Delgado, H. ; Habicht, J.P. ; Yarbrough, C. ; Lechtig, A. ; Martorell, R. ; Malina, R.M. ; and Klein, R.E. (1975): Nutritional Status and the Timing of Deciduous Tooth Eruption, Am J Clin Nutr 28:216-224.

Diorio, L.P. ; Miller, S.A. ; and Navia, J.M. (1973): The Separate Effects of Protein and Calorie Malnutrition in the Development and Growth of Rat Bones and Teeth, J Nutr 103:856-865.

Garn, S.M. ; Lewis, A.B. ; and Polacheck, D.L. (1960): Interrelations in Dental Development. I. Interrelationships within the Dentition, J Dent Res 39:1049-1055.

Harris, S.S. and Navia, J.M. (1980): Vitamin A Deficiency and Caries Susceptibility of Rat Molar, Arch Oral Biol 25:415-421.

10.

Holloway, P.J. ; Shaw, J.H. ; and Sweeney, E.A. (1961): Effects of Various Sucrose:Casein Ratios in Purified Diets on the Teeth and Supporting Structures of Rats, Arch Oral Biol 3 :185-200.

11.

Infante, P.F. and Gillespie, G.M. (1976): Dental Caries Experience in the Deciduous Dentition of Rural Guatemalan Children Ages 6 Months to 7 Years, J Dent Res 55:951-957.

12.

Mukherjee, D.K. (1973): Deciduous Dental Eruption in Low Income Group Bengali Hindu Children, J Trop Pediatr Environ Child Health 19:207-210.

13.

Rami-Reddy, V. ; Vijayalakshmi, P.B. ; and Chandra-Sekhar-Reddy, B.K. (1986): Deciduous Tooth Emergence and Physique of Velama Children of Southeastern Andhra Radesh, India, Odontol Pediatr 7:1-5.

14.

Robinow, M. (1973): The Eruption of the Deciduous Teeth (Factors Involved in Timing), J Trop Pediatr Environ Child Health 19:200-205.

15.

Shaw, J.H. and Griffiths, D. (1963): Dental Abnormalities in Rats Attributable to Protein Deficiency during Reproduction, J Nutr 80 :123-141.

16.

Sintes, J.L. ; Rosa, J. ; and Freund, T. (1983): Iron Deficiency and Dental Caries: A Pilot Study , Clin Prev Dent 5:3-5.

17.

Sweeney, E.A. and Guzman, M. (1966): Oral Conditions in Children from Three Highland Villages in Guatemala, Arch Oral Biol 11:687-698.

18.

Waterlow, J.C. ; Buzina, R. ; Keller, W. ; Lane, J.M. ; Ni-Chaman, M.Z. ; and Tanner, J.M. (1977): The Presentation and Use of Height and Weight Data for Comparing the Nutritional Status of Groups of Children Under the Age of 10 Years, Bull Who 55:489-498.

19.

World Health Organization (1986): Oral Health Surveys: Basic Methods, 3rd ed., Geneva: WHO, p. 4.