EARLY-CHILDHOOD CARIES AND RISK-FACTORS IN RURAL PUERTO-RICAN CHILDREN

A sample of 167 Puerto Rican children whose ages ranged from six month s to forty-seven months (mean = 23 months) were studied. Children were examined for Early Childhood Caries with light and mirror and a struc tured interview was administered to parents and caretakers to identify risk factors. Results indicated that only 37.4 percent of the childre n were free of decalcification lesions or frank decay. While 53.9 perc ent of the children had lesions on maxillary incisors, 40.0 percent ha d molars affected by decalcification lesions and caries. Analysis of r isk factors indicate that giving the baby a bottle when crying at nigh t, number of adults and children in the family, use of fluoridated den tifrice, and age of the child were associated with the caries process in these children. Bottle and breast feeding, per se, were not risk fa ctors. Disease patterns suggest other dietary risk factors, such as fr equent snacking on food/drinks with sugar.