The prevalence of early childhood caries in 12- to 36-month-old children in Recife, Brazil.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of early childhood caries among preschool children aged between 12 and 36 months from poor communities in the city of Recife, Brazil. This prevalence was evaluated along with the type and duration of feeding, supplementary diet in terms of cariogenicity and quantity of sugar intake. Of the 468 children studied, 28.46% presented caries and the association between the variable of a cariogenic diet and caries was strongly significant (x2 = 13.36 and p < 0.001). From the results of the present study it is possible to draw the following conclusions: the prevalence of early childhood caries in poor children aged 12-36 months in the city of Recife is in accordance with that found in other Brazilian cities, but is very high compared to that of the world population. Early childhood caries was not found to be related to the type of feeding; however, the number of sugary snacks between meals and a cariogenic diet were strongly related to early childhood caries. The prevalence of early childhood caries increases with age; and the first signs of the carious lesions were only detected after the eruption of the first molars, starting at 18 months.