Dental health, dental care, and dietary habits in children in different parts of Sweden

Abstract

An epidemiological study of dental health, dental health care, and sociodemographic data in 817 4-, 8-, and 13-year-old children was carried out in 1980/81 in two areas in the county of Västerbotten, northern Sweden, and in one area in the northern part of the county of Alvsborg, in southwestern Sweden. Dietary habits and nutrient intake were studied in 738 of the children. The aim of the study was to examine the dental health in the different areas and to study the importance of variations in related background factors. The results showed great differences in dental health in all age groups between the two counties. There were also differences between the two areas in the north, but these were not as evident. A discriminant function analysis showed that age when organized dental care started and tooth-brushing frequency had greater explanatory power on dental caries than food habit factors.