Researchers Link Obesity, Tooth Decay in Toddlers

Researchers Link Obesity, Tooth Decay in Toddlers

Researchers at the University of Buffalo, NY, studied the relationship between tooth decay and obesity in children who were 2 to 5 years old. In doing so, they found a direct relationship between obesity and tooth decay.

“Poor eating habits may play a role in both tooth decay and obesity in preschoolers,” the study’s lead author, Kathleen Bethin, MD, PhD, said. “Dental decay is the most common chronic disease of childhood, and obesity in youth is a growing problem. To prevent these problems, the dentist’s office may be an important place to educate families about nutrition,” Bethin is a pediatrician at Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo and an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Buffalo in New York.

With funding from the New York State Department of Health, the doctors at the Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo and University of Buffalo studied the relationship between poor dental health and overweight in 65 children who were 2 to 5 years old. All children needed dental work due to decay and had their dental procedure and blood work performed while they were under anesthesia.

Each child’s height and weight were measured before the procedure to calculate the body mass index, or BMI. For most people, BMI reliably indicates the amount of body fat. Also, the child’s guardian completed a questionnaire about the child’s recent average daily food consumption.

The data showed that 18 of the 65 children, approximately 28 percent, had a BMI above the 85th percentile, which Bethin noted might be higher if the children hadn’t been fasting.

The data also revealed that many of the children were eating far more calories than the recommended 1200 calories per day, with some eating upwards of nearly 1600 calories daily.