Effect of family structure on the dental caries experience of children.

It was the purpose of this study to investigate several variables in family structure which might influence the caries experience in 3-12-year-old children for Central Oklahoma. These variables, which included parental age at marriage and at birth of the child for both mother and father, birth rank, family size, and age span differences between the siblings, were investigated in an attempt to identify those children at greatest risk to dental caries formation. It was suggested that differences in the caries experience for children from various family structures might be the result of the families' socioeconomic status and its influence upon the child's dietary habits. Because dental caries is a multifactorial disease complex governed by so many factors, single correlations between variables in family structure and a child's caries prevalence are not necessarily sufficient by themselves to form a basis for selection of high risk children. It should not be overlooked that subtle differences in family structure, however, may have significant consequences for a particular individual.