Mothers Share Caries Risk with Their Children

The relationship between parents' oral health and the oral health of their children was reported in 1946 among 3,000 offspring in 1,150 families. Caries levels in 15-19 year olds was twice as high when parents had high caries rates compared to children of parents with low caries rates. Several studies show that both parents influence the caries rates of children, but the influence of the mother's oral health is greater.

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco evaluated agricultural workers in Mendota, California, 160 miles southeast of San Francisco. A total of 179 mothers and their 387 children were evaluated clinically. Most mothers (80 percent) reported their oral health to be fair or poor and only 33 percent had ever received professional dental hygiene care. Six percent of mothers and 19 percent of children had never had a dental visit.

Untreated caries were found in 46 percent of mothers with a mean decayed-filled-surfaces score (DFS) of 13.5, affecting half their teeth. Untreated caries were found in 27 percent of children (average age of the children was nine years, ranging from one to 17 years). The DFS rate for permanent teeth was 4.3 and the rate for deciduous teeth was 13.5.

The adjusted odds ratio for this group was similar to that reported in 1946. The children of mothers with untreated caries were twice as likely to have untreated caries themselves.

Caries prevention for children begins with the mothers. Mothers should be encouraged to get their oral health in order before their children's teeth erupt to reduce the child's caries risk.