The Relationship between Food Intake and Dental Caries in a group of Iranian Children in 2009

Dental caries is the most common chronic disease in relation to sugary items. So the purpose of this study was to find the relationship between food intake and dental caries in 6-11-Year-Old children. This study was descriptive with random selection on 203 children. Data collection techniques were interview, clinical examinations and completing the food frequency questionnaire and information form. Consumption of food groups and basis information compared with dental caries prevalence, severity of dental caries in whole teeth and DMFT/dmft index separately. Quantitative and qualitative Data analyzed with appropriate tests and with the use of SPSS software, version 16. The frequency of using dried fruit, salty snack and confectionary group’s with dental caries prevalence and sugar, salty snack and confectionary group’s with severity of whole teeth decay showed a significance relationship(P<0.05). The frequency of using sugar and pastry group’s and snacks during the day had a positive relationship with DMFT/dmft index and dairy group had the negative relationship (p<0.01). Using of afternoon snack, snacks during the day and sugar group had a positive correlation and brushing teeth during past 6 months, and mothers education had a negative correlation with DMFT/dmft index (p<0.01). The main factor in incidence of dental caries were frequency of using sugary, sugary-starch foods, foods that stick to the teeth and irregular brushing (at least once a day).