Nursing bottle caries: characteristics of children at risk.

Nursing bottle carries is a pattern of extensive decay in newly erupted maxillary incisors. We examined nutritional, demographic, and behavioral characteristics of children with this condition and age/sex-matched controls, generating a profile of factors associated with increased risk for the development of this disease. Parents of 24 consecutive bottle caries patients seen in a private pediatric dental office completed a questionnaire. Controls were children receiving routine primary pediatric health services at a university based clinical office. Children with bottle caries were more likely to be living in a single parent household (p = 0.005). A higher incidence of sleep difficulties and strong temper also was reported (p = 0.05). Cases were more likely to take the bottle to bed and, to an older age than controls. They received less professional advice regarding weaning as well as less fluoride supplementation (p = 0.025). Clinical recognition of this profile may foster provision of specific anticipatory guidance resulting in primary prevention of this condition.