Early childhood feeding practices and dental caries in preschool children: a multi-centre birth cohort study

Extent: 7p.Background Dental caries (decay) is an international public health challenge, especially amongst young children. Early Childhood Caries is a rapidly progressing disease leading to severe pain, anxiety, sepsis and sleep loss, and is a major health problem particularly for disadvantaged populations. There is currently a lack of research exploring the interactions between risk and protective factors in the development of early childhood caries, in particular the effects of infant feeding practises. Methods/Design This is an observational cohort study and involves the recruitment of a birth cohort from disadvantaged communities in South Western Sydney. Mothers will be invited to join the study soon after the birth of their child at the time of the first home visit by Child and Family Health Nurses. Data on feeding practices and dental health behaviours will be gathered utilizing a telephone interview at 4, 8 and 12 months, and thereafter at 6 monthly intervals until the child is aged 5 years. Information collected will include a) initiation and duration of breastfeeding, b) introduction of solid food, c) intake of cariogenic and non-cariogenic foods, d) fluoride exposure, and e) oral hygiene practices. Children will have a dental and anthropometric examination at 2 and 5 years of age and the main outcome measures will be oral health quality of life, caries prevalence and caries incidence. Discussion This study will provide evidence of the association of early childhood feeding practices and the oral health of preschool children. In addition, information will be collected on breastfeeding practices and the oral health concerns of mothers living in disadvantaged areas in South Western Sydney.Amit Arora, Jane A Scott, Sameer Bhole, Loc Do, Eli Schwarz and Anthony S Blinkhor

Oral health in Syria

The aim of this paper is to describe and analyse the oral health situation in Syria in the last two decades and to propose recommendations for improvement of the current situation. The epidemiological data on caries of the last two decades did not indicate a decrease in the DMFT value of various age groups, nor was a decrease in the percentage of untreated caries apparent. The unequal distribution of oral health care continued to exist throughout the country, despite an enormous increase in the number of dentists from about 2,000 in 1985 to about 14,500 in 2002. The affluent part of the population is served with technically oriented expensive dental services. The public sector suffers from limited finance, the absence of appropriate technology in restorative dentistry and the lack of a community and preventive oriented approach. It is recommended to utilise dental hygienists in the public sector, since these auxiliaries if appropriately trained can offer the preventive and curative oral care wanted and demanded by the poor and that the government and the people can afford