Abstract
For the purpose of investigating the effects of sweets and beverages intake and tooth brushing on tooth decay in infants, records of health examinations at the ages of 1-year-6-months and 3 years in 451 infants in Utsunomiya City were analyzed.
The results are summarized as follows:
1. Children who had eaten sugar-containing foods and beverages such as buns, biscuits, ice cream, cake, Fruit juice, chocolate, beverages with lactic acid, carbonated beverages, snack chips and candy at least once a day at age 3suffer teeth decay more than those who had not.
2. In the evaluation of the effects from age 1-year-6-months, only candy had significant effects on tooth decay as observed at the age 3 health examination.
3. A significant relationship between tooth-brushing and tooth decay was not seen in this observation.
4. The factor analysis indicated that the factors relating to tooth decay at age of 3 were the frequency of drinking beverages with lactic acid bacilli or lactic acid, ice cream and snack chips. However, a relationship was not seen between tooth-brushing and tooth decay.
5. Based on these results temperance in eating sugar-containing foods and in drinking beverages is recommended rather than encouraging tooth-brushing to prevent tooth decay in infants.
