High birth weight is a risk factor of dental caries increment during adolescence in Sweden

Annika Julihn, Ulrika Molund, Emma Drevsäter, Thomas Modéer

Division of Pediatric Dentistry, Department of Dental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden.
Division of Pediatric Dentistry, Department of Dental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden Specialist Clinic of Pediatric Dentistry, Specialist Dental Care in V?stra G?taland, G?teborg, Sweden.

DOI: 10.4236/ojst.2013.39A007                

Abstract

This study aimed to assess whether birth weight is associated with dental caries during the teenage period. In this register-based cohort study, all children of 13 yrs of age (n = 18,142) who resided in the county of Stockholm, Sweden, in 2000 were included. The cohort was followed until individuals were 19 yrs of age. Information regarding dental caries was collected from the Public Health Care Administration in Stockholm. Data concerning prenatal and perinatal factors and parental socio-demographic determinants were collected from the Swedish Medical Birth Register and National Registers at Statistics Sweden. The final logistic regression model showed that birth weight (≥4000 g), adjusted for potential confounders, was significantly associated with caries increment (DMFT ≥ 1) between 13 and 19 yrs of age (OR: 1.29, 95% CI = 1.13 - 1.48). The relatively enhanced risk OR was further increased from 1.29 to 1.52 in sub- jects with birth weight (≥4600 g). On the contrary, subjects with birth weight (<2500 g) exhibited a sig- nificantly lower risk (OR: 0.67, 95% CI = 0.50 - 0.89) for exhibiting caries experience (DMFT ≥4) at 19 yrs of age. In conclusion, birth weight can be regarded as a predictor for dental caries and birth weight (≥4000 g) is especially a risk factor for caries increment during adolescence. 

Keywords

Adolescents; Birth Weight; Cohort Study; Dental Caries; Longitudinal Study; Predictor; Risk Assessment; Risk Factor

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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