An evaluation of NHANES III estimates of early childhood caries

Objectives: The purposes of this study were to estimate and evaluate the pr evalence for the United States of early childhood caries (ECC) among childr en 12 to 23 months of age. Methods: The 1988-94 National Health and Nutriti on Examination Survey (NHANES III) public-use data set was analyzed using S UDAAN. Two ECC case definitions were used. Definition #1 was restricted to the caries score called by the examiner. Definition #2 liberally included c hildren identified by definition #1 and those possibly having questionable caries scores. Results: The NHANES III six-year prevalence estimates of car ies in the maxillary anterior incisors of children 12 to 23 months of age w ere 1.0 percent for definition #1 and 1.7 percent for definition #2. Mexica n-American and economically disadvantaged children were disproportionally r epresented with ECC. Conclusions: The prevalence of ECC among children 12 t o 23 months of age is barely detectable at the national level. Alternative study designs and improved case definitions are needed for further advances in ECC.