[A cohort study on dental caries in infants].

A cohort study was performed to determine what techniques are effective in dental caries prevention in infants. Subjects were 878 children aged 18 months, who visited the Gifu-shi Central Public Health Center to receive the medical health check and who were found to be dental caries free. The subjects received both 18 months and 3 years old dental health examinations which included data on incidence of dental caries and oral hygiene conditions (plaque score). Information on the children's between-meals eating habits and mother aided daily tooth brushing habits were obtained from their mothers. Caries incidence was 31.5% and 43.3% in children with good and poor oral hygiene conditions, 30.9% and 38.5% in children with and without daily brushing habits, and 41.0% and 29.2% in children with and without between-meals eating habits, respectively. Logistic regression analysis indicated that oral hygiene conditions and eating habits between meals were more important than mother aided daily tooth brushing.