Risk factors for dental caries in young children: a systematic review of the literature.

To conduct a systematic review of the literature on risk factors for dental caries in deciduous teeth of children aged six years and under, to give a scientific framework for the international collaborative studies on inequalities in childhood caries. METHOD: Accepted guidelines were followed. Studies were identified by electronic searching and reviewed on the basis of key words, title and abstract by two reviewers to assess whether inclusion criteria were met. Copies of all articles were obtained and assessed for quality according to the study design.

1029 papers were identified from the electronic search, 260 met the prima facie inclusion criteria. 183 were excluded once full copies of these papers were obtained. Of the 77 studies included, 43 were cross sectional, 19 cohort studies, 8 case control studies and 7 interventional studies. Few obtained the highest quality scores. 106 risk factors were significantly related to the prevalence or incidence of caries.