Is congenital malformation a risk factor for caries development in Swedish adolescents?

Abstract

Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate whether various forms of congenital malformations are risk factors for approximal caries development in Swedish adolescents. Materials and methods. This longitudinal register-based cohort study included all adolescents (n = 18 142) of 13 years of age who resided in the county of Stockholm, Sweden, in 2000. The cohort was followed until individuals were 19 years of age. Dental caries (decayed, missing and filled teeth/surfaces (DMFT/S)) were collected from the Public Health Care Administration in Stockholm. Data concerning pre- and perinatal factors and parental socio-demographic determinants were collected from Swedish National Registers. Results. In a logistic regression analysis, neither congenital malformation nor any sub-group of congenital malformation registered at birth were significantly associated with an enhanced risk of approximal caries increment in adolescents between 13–19 years of age. The final multivariate logistic regression model, adjusted for possible maternal and family socio-demographic confounders, showed that congenital malformation of the ‘circulatory system' was significantly associated with a decreased risk of approximal caries increment, between 13–19 years of age (OR = 0.33; 95% CI = 0.12–0.88). Conclusions. Congenital malformation should not be considered as a risk factor for approximal caries development in Swedish adolescents today. Noticeably, adolescents with congenital heart diseases exhibited less risk of developing approximal caries, which was probably related to prevention programs allocated to these children in Sweden.

Key Words::

• children
• congenital heart disease
• dental caries
• longitudinal study
• register-based study

Acknowledgements

We wish to express our sincere gratitude to Professor Anders Hjern, Centre for Health Equity Studies (CHESS), Stockholm University, Sweden, for his valuable advice concerning practical problems. This study was supported by grants from the Skaraborg County Council, the Swedish Dental Society and the Swedish Patent Revenue Research Fund.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.