Study Identifies Link Between Tooth Decay In Young Kids And Obesity

Mon, 28 Jun 2010

Nearly a third of young children with dental cavities are either obese or overweight, according to new US research.

A study of 65 children, aged two to five years, undergoing treatment for cavities in their first teeth found that almost 2 per cent had a body mass index (BMI) above 85 per cent, indicating obesity .

The figure is more than 5 per cent higher than the country’s estimated national average, highlighting how parents are not doing enough to keep their young children healthy.

Kathleen Bethin, lead author of the study and associate professor of paediatrics at the University at Buffalo, noted that the BMI figure may have been even higher if the children who participated in the research had not been fasting.

She said: "The main point of our findings is that poor nutrition may link obesity to tooth decay . Thus, the dental office, or 'dental home,' may be an ideal place to educate families about nutrition and the risks of obesity and dental decay ."

"Our results found no difference in total calories consumed by the overweight and healthy weight kids, so the problem isn't overeating, per se, just making the wrong food choices."

Professor Bethin added that there is currently "very little" published data associating dental decay with obesity in young children .
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