SENDAI, Japan: Researchers at Tohoku University in Japan have found that maternal mental health may play a significant role in instilling early toothbrushing habits in children and thereby influence their oral health and the development of early childhood caries (ECC).
Led by Dr Shinobu Tsuchiya of the Department of Orthodontics and Speech Therapy for Craniofacial Anomalies at Tohoku University Hospital in Sendai, the study aimed to investigate whether the mental health of mothers influenced the early cultivation of toothbrushing habits. The study consisted of a secondary analysis of data from a national study of 84,533 mother–infant pairs. The Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale was used to evaluate maternal postpartum depression at intervals of one and six months, and Poisson regression models were used to examine the association between postpartum depression and toothbrushing frequency in the 2-year-old children.
It was found that postpartum depression in mothers was associated with less frequent toothbrushing and that, conversely, children whose mothers did not suffer from postnatal depression were more likely to brush their teeth twice daily. The association of maternal postpartum depression with a lower frequency of toothbrushing in children had consistently higher relative risks, but the association was weakened when adjusting for whether children could brush their own teeth or do so under the supervision of parents.
A Tohoku University press release pointed out that Japan has a worryingly high prevalence of ECC in children aged 3 years old, and lead researcher Tsuchiya commented: “A mother’s psychological well-being provides valuable screening information for identifying children at a high risk of ECC.”
The researchers did not assess postnatal depression in fathers and its influence on childhood oral health habits.
The study, titled “Influence of maternal postpartum depression on children’s toothbrushing frequency”, was published online on 11 June 2021 in Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, ahead of inclusion in an issue.
Tags:
KHON KAEN, Thailand: Orofacial clefts (OFCs) occur at a slightly higher rate in Asia than elsewhere—1.6 cases per 1,000 live births compared with one in...
In recent years, periimplantitis has been extensively studied as bone loss has been observed around dental implants. As a result of multiple factors, ...
CHICAGO, US/LONDON, UK: A new study presented during the 2018 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions held recently has suggested that brushing ...
BELÉM, Brazil: Television can often play a key role in determining what foods people purchase, thanks to its high concentration of food product ...
SAN FRANCISCO, U.S./VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Canada: In 1975, the U.S. Sugar Association (SA) created the Regional Nutritional Information Program ...
NEW YORK, U.S.: Few studies have examined the association between elemental exposures and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). New research has ...
QUEBEC CITY, Canada: The occurrence of dental caries may depend in part on school-based environmental or policy-related factors, but few researchers have ...
SAN FRANCISCO, U.S.: According to a new study, a multilevel approach that includes a dental caries risk assessment, aggressive preventive measures and ...
OKAYAMA, Japan: According to the Pan American Health Organization, nine out of ten people are at risk for any type of oral disease, which can be mitigated ...
MURADNAGAR, India: Many people with dental anxiety avoid regular visits to the dentist, which in turn can lead to a deterioration in their oral health and ...
Live webinar
Thu. 18 July 2024
8:00 pm EST (New York)
Live webinar
Tue. 6 August 2024
6:00 pm EST (New York)
Live webinar
Tue. 13 August 2024
7:00 pm EST (New York)
Live webinar
Wed. 21 August 2024
9:00 am EST (New York)
Dr. Jim Lai DMD, MSc(Perio), EdD, FRCD(C)
Live webinar
Wed. 28 August 2024
8:00 pm EST (New York)
Live webinar
Mon. 2 September 2024
5:00 am EST (New York)
Live webinar
Tue. 3 September 2024
11:00 am EST (New York)
To post a reply please login or register