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Caries

393 - Association Between Parental Nutrition Knowledge and Childhood Caries

Saturday, May 23, 2026
2:30 PM - 2:45 PM PST
Has Audio

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Joanne Tan, DMD

    Pediatric Dental Resident
    University at Buffalo/Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
    State University of New York at Buffalo
    Buffalo, New York, United States

    • Program Director(s)

  • BC

    Brett Chiquet, DDS, PhD

    Professor and Chair
    UTHealth Houston
    Buffalo, New York, United States

Abstract: Association Between Parental Nutrition Knowledge and Childhood Caries

Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between a parent's knowledge of child nutrition and the prevalence of active carious lesions their child has. The target population will be parents with a child(ren) under the age of 6.

Methods: Eligible participants were determined the day before using the AxiUm schedule. Parents were eligible to participate if their child(ren) presented to University at Buffalo’s Pediatric Dental clinic as a new patient and were under the age of 6. Parents were given an 8-question survey to test their knowledge on child nutrition. If a family presented with more than one child under the age of 6 who is a new patient, the parent received 1 survey. After the child(ren)’s appointment is over, the survey will be graded and their child(ren)’s decayed, extracted, filled teeth (deft) score will be calculated. Primary and permanent dentition will be included in the deft/DEFT score. Other demographics collected will be the child(ren)’s sex and age.

Results: Results showed that there was no significant association between parental nutrition knowledge and deft score, even after adjusting for age and sex.

Conclusions: Parental nutrition knowledge does not always indicate parental action or adherence to nutrition guidelines and recommendations. Additionally, our results support the concepts that caries is a multifactorial process and progression occurs over time.