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By Suzanne Rostler
NEW YORK, Mar 19 (Reuters Health) - A child's eating habits at age 3 can help predict whether or not he or she will have a mouthful of cavities by the time they are age 6, researchers report.
Those toddlers who consumed candy and juice more than once a week at age 3 and who also had tarter--bacteria-containing plaque on the teeth--were nearly twice as likely to have cavities by the age of 6, compared with their peers who ate sweets no more than once a week, findings show.
Overall, about 19% of children had one to four cavities at age 6 and 10% had five or more, according to the study of 135 Finnish youngsters. The findings are published in the journal Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology.
Toothbrushing habits did not differ between children who developed cavities and those who remained cavity-free.
"Candy and sweet drinks contain sucrose (sugar) and therefore both should be used reasonably--definitely not on a daily basis or even worse, several times a day," Dr. Sara Karjalainen and colleagues from the University of Turku in Finland, told Reuters Health.
The results support the idea that despite improvements in dental health due to better oral hygiene and the widespread use of fluoride, sugar consumption is still a major risk factor for cavities in children, she said.
The researchers interviewed parents about their child's diet and toothbrushing habits and used a 4-day food diary to analyze sugar intake.
SOURCE: Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology 2001;29:136-142.
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