Abstract
Eight hundred and eleven babies eighteen month of age were subjected to a dental survey from 2000 to 2003 to examine the relationship between susceptibility to dental caries and the method of milk suckling. They were categorized into the three groups, the suckling termination group, the breast feeding group and the bottle feeding group. The number of teeth affected by dental caries per baby was surveyed and the mean number of affected teeth per baby and the rate of babies affected by dental caries were then calculated for each group. Furthermore, a baby, with more than three anterior teeth affected by dental caries was defined as a milk feeders with caries and then the rate of milk feeders with caries was calculated for each group. Based on the analyses, the following interesting findings were obtained taiking into consideration their status of their ordinaly oral health as well.
1) The rate of babies affected by dental caries, the mean number of affected teeth for each and the rate of milk feeeders with caries for the breast feeding group were significantly higher than those for the other two groups, respectively.
2) The ordinal oral health condition for the breast feeding group was significantly lower than that for the other two.
3) The rate of babies affected by dental caries, the mean number of affected teeth for each baby and the rate of milk feeders with caries holder for the group with better helth were significantly lower than those for poor the group with poor helth.
4) The rate of milk feeders with caries for feeding with milk group and one was lower before fifteen months of age, but rapidly increased afterward. These findings suggest that a longer duration of breast feeding induced a higher rate of babies affected by dental caries, but that keeping better oral health for the breast feeding group could inhibit it. Dental health examination for babies at the early stage of twelve months of age will be thus recommended.
