THE PREVALENCE OF NURSING CARIES AMONG HEAD START EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN BY ETHNICITY, AGE, GENDER, AND NURSING PRACTICES.
Contributors: Gonzaga University.
Published: 1995
Number of pages: 112
Subjects: Education, Early Childhood.; Health Sciences, Dentistry.; Health Sciences, Public Health.
Description: This study determined the prevalence of nursing caries in Head Start/ECEAP children in Spokane, Washington. Nursing caries, caused by the exposure of a child's teeth for long periods of time to sweetened liquids, is a condition that can destroy the teeth of an infant or young child. This occurs when a parent or caregiver allows a child to fall asleep while drinking from a bottle filled with anything other than water. The sugars in liquids such as milk, fruit juice, and baby formula are used by the bacteria in plaque to make decay-causing acids. The result can be the formation of extensive dental caries.

The study also examined the relationship between the prevalence of nursing caries and ethnicity, age, gender, and nursing feeding practices among this population. The data were collected on an oral health surveillance form and a researcher-designed questionnaire.

No significant difference was found for the variables of age and gender in relation to the prevalence of certain nursing caries; however, ethnicity and certain nursing feeding practices, such as the type of sweetened substance put into the bottle, the last age the child slept with a bottle containing a sweetened substance, and the frequency of brushing among children less than one year old, were found to have a significant relationship with the prevalence of nursing caries.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-07, Section: A, page: 2552.

Thesis (PH.D.)--GONZAGA UNIVERSITY, 1995.

School code: 0736.