Dental fear and oral health and family characteristics of Finnish children

Objectives: Our aim was to describe the occurrence of dental fear among Finnish children of different ages and to ascertain how oral health and family characteristics are associated with dental fear. Methods: The subject groups were aged 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 years in two middle-sized cities, and the 1474 participants were distributed over fairly equal samples of each age. A questionnaire given to each child to be filled out at home enquired about social background, oral hygiene habits, diet, and dental fear. Oral health status was examined clinically and radiographically by two calibrated dentists. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed for each age group in order to study the associations between dental fear and selected factors. Results: Dental fear was higher among 12- and 15-year-old children than among the younger ones. Pain, drilling, and local anesthesia were reported to be the most frightening aspects. Excluding the 12-year-olds, children whose family members reported dental fear were more likely to report dental fear than children whose family members did not report dental fear. Six- and 12-year-olds who had experienced caries were more likely to report dental fear than were caries-free children. Among 6-year-olds, father's education modified the effect of a child's caries experience on child dental fear. Frequent intake of sugary items and a limit on eating candies to only one day per week were associated with higher dental fear. Conclusions: Fear of dental treatment is still fairly common among Finnish children, and the factors associated with it differ with the age of the child.     

Evidence for reversal of the caries decline among Norwegian children

Summary. Objective. The purpose of the present study was to report on caries status and to explore possible reasons for changes in caries experience among 5‐ and 12‐year‐old Norwegian children. Design. National cross‐sectional and time trend study. Methods. Aggregated data from the Public Dental Services and from official statistics were used. Information was available on the total number of children, the proportion receiving treatment, sale of fluoride tablets, socio‐economic background, caries prevalence and dmft/DMFT scores. Results. The prevalence of caries among 5‐year‐olds reached a low of 30·4% in 1997 and increased to 38·9% in 2000. The mean dmft scores increased from 1·1 to 1·5. Conversely, the prevalence of caries among 12‐year‐olds decreased from 55·4% in 1997 to 52·2% in 2000 and the mean DMFT score from 1·7 to 1·5. Bivariate analyses at county level revealed significant associations, which for the most part disappeared in multivariate analyses. The sale of fluoride tablets had a significant effect on caries prevalence among 5‐year‐olds in 1998, in 1999 and in 2000. Infant mortality was associated with the dmft score in 1999. The only consistently significant predictor of caries experience at 12 years of age was caries prevalence at age 5. Conclusions. There has been a highly significant increase in caries experience among 5‐year‐olds (P < 0·001) and a levelling off among 12‐year‐olds over the past 3 years. Considering the association between caries prevalence at age 5 and caries experience at 12 years of age, there is a need for reassessment of the caries preventive programmes for children in Norway.     

Education and diet in the prevention of caries in the preschool child

Caries prevalence studies of preschool children today show that caries is increasing in many of the developing countries. This is often blamed on a situation where confectionary, soft drinks and refined sugar-containing snacks have become easily available. Studies in Sweden in 1980 on 4 year olds showed a high sucrose consumption, and an increasing proportion of the daily energy intake coming from snacks. Recent studies from Norway have confirmed that the dietary pattern is established in early infancy during the period of primary socialization. In Sweden, nearly all children are taken regularly by their parents to child health centres for regular check-ups and vaccinations. In these centres dental health education is given when the child is about 6 months and 18 months of age. Children of refugees and immigrants in Sweden have a considerably higher prevalence of dental caries than Swedish children. A dental health education programme at the child health centre to Finnish immigrant parents has been carried out and evaluated. The information was given on three separate occasions in Finnish to one test group of Finnish parents, and in Swedish to another test group of Finnish parents. A third Finnish group was given information twice in Swedish. When the children were 3 years of age, the dental health of the group where the parents had been given information three times in Finnish was equally as good as the dental health of matched Swedish 3 year olds.     

Dental caries prevalence and treatment needs of 5- to 12-year-old children in relation to area-based income and immigrant background in Greece

Objectives: To investigate the association between certain socio‐demographic characteristics and dental health status of 5‐ to 12‐year‐old children attending public kindergarten and primary schools in Piraeus, Greece. Methods: Gender, age, place of residence, immigrant background and area‐based income were associated with dental caries prevalence, treatment needs and oral hygiene level in 5,116 children. Results: The mean number of decayed, missing and filled deciduous teeth (dmft) and Unmet Restorative Treatment Needs Index (UTN) at 6‐year‐olds were 1.54 and 84.6% respectively, and the DMFT and UTN at 12‐year‐olds were 1.35 and 71.8%. Caries experience/severity significantly increased with age, whereas treatment needs and oral hygiene level decreased (P < 0.001). Immigrant background and low area‐based income was associated with poorer oral health outcomes. The above associations retained statistical significance after multivariate analysis. Children who live in areas with lower average income present 1.20 to 2.14 greater risk of having higher caries severity and poorer oral hygiene in comparison to those living in more affluent areas, and children with an immigrant background have 1.68 to 4.34 higher likelihood to present higher dmft and DMFT values, higher unmet treatment needs, and poorer oral hygiene levels compared to their Greek counterparts above and beyond the effect of the other risk factors assessed. Conclusions: The present study revealed a socio‐demographic gradient in oral health status and treatment needs of children in Piraeus, Greece.     

Can parents and children evaluate each other’s dental fear?

Luoto A, Tolvanen M, Rantavuori K, Pohjola V, Lahti S. Can parents and children evaluate each other’s dental fear? Eur J Oral Sci 2010; 118: 254–258. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 Eur J Oral Sci The aim of this study was to determine whether parents and their 11–16‐yr‐old children can evaluate each other’s dental fear. At baseline the participants were 11–12‐yr‐old children from the Finnish Cities of Pori (n = 1,691) and Rauma (n = 807), and one of their parents. The children and their parents were asked if they or their family members were afraid of dental care. Fears were assessed using single 5‐point Likert‐scale questions that included a ‘do not know’ option. Children and parents answered the questionnaire independently of each other. Background variables were the child’s and their parent’s gender. Parents’ and children’s knowledge of each other’s dental fear was evaluated with kappa statistics and with sensitivity and specificity statistics using dichotomized fear variables. All kappa values were < 0.42. When dental fear among children and parents was evaluated, all sensitivities varied between 0.10 and 0.39, and all specificities varied between 0.93 and 0.99. Evaluating dental fear among fearful children and parents, the sensitivities varied between 0.17 and 0.50 and the specificities varied between 0.85 and 0.94, respectively. Parents and children could not recognize each other’s dental fear. Therefore, parents and children cannot be used as reliable proxies for determining each other’s dental fear.     

Dental health of dentists' children in Mongolia

Summary. Objectives. To describe the dental health of dentists’ children, to evaluate its association with their dentist‐parents’ background and work‐related characteristics and to compare it with that of children in the general population in Mongolia. Design. Cross‐sectional survey, questionnaire‐based data. Subjects. Dentists’ children, aged 3–13 years. Sample. All dentists (n = 250) actively practising in the capital city of Mongolia. Results. The dentists’ children's dmft ranged from 0 to 12, and DMFT from 0 to 8; 50% were caries‐free. The younger the children, the higher was their total caries experience expressed as the sum of DMFT + dmft scores (r = ?0·22; P = 0·001). Dentist‐parents’ background and work‐related factors were not associated with their children's caries status (P > 0·05). When dentists’ children were compared with their counterparts at the population level, mean dmft for 6‐year‐olds was 2·6 for (urban) dentists’ children, 6·5 for children in the urban population and 0·9 for those in rural population of equivalent age. Mean DMFT for 12‐year‐olds were 1·0, 1·8 and 1·2, respectively, in the same three groups. In general, (urban) dentists’ children in all age groups had better dental health than did their urban counterparts at the population level. Among 5–7‐year‐olds, dentists’ children had worse dental health than did their counterparts in the rural population. Conclusions. Despite the dentists’ knowledge and awareness, their children demonstrated higher rates of dental caries than expected. This suggests that Mongolian dentists may have insufficient preventive orientation. In particular, the primary dentition of younger children seems to be poorly valued. In Mongolia, dentists should have better training and education in modern methods of caries prevention and their advantages. Appreciation and care of the primary dentition need to be improved at all levels of oral health promotion in Mongolia.     

Oral health knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of children and adolescents in China

Objectives : A national representative study to describe oral health behaviour, illness behaviour, oral health knowledge and attitudes among 12‐year‐old and 18‐year‐old Chinese, to analyse the oral health behaviour profile of the two age groups in relation to province and urbanisation, and to assess the relative effect of socio‐behavioural risk factors on dental caries experience. Methods : The total number of 4,400 of each age group were selected and data were collected by clinical examinations (WHO criteria) and self‐administered structured questionnaires. Results : 44.4% of the respondents brushed their teeth at least twice a day but only 17% used fluoridated toothpaste. Subjects who saw a dentist during the previous 12 months or two years were 31.3% and 35.3% for 12‐year‐olds and 22.5% and 20.2% for 18‐year‐olds, respectively. Nearly one third (29%) of 12 year‐olds and 40.5% of 18‐year‐olds would visit a dentist in case of signs of caries but only when in pain. Nearly half of the participants (47.2%) had never received any oral health care instruction. Significant variations in oral health practices were found according to province and regular dental care habits were more frequent in urban than in rural areas. The risk of dental caries was high in the case of frequent consumption of sweets and dental caries risk was low for participants with use of fluoridated toothpaste. Conclusion : Systematic community‐oriented oral health promotion programmes are needed to target lifestyles and the needs of children, particularly for those living in rural areas. A prevention‐oriented oral health care policy would seem more advantageous than the present curative approach.     

Application of the Nexø method in a general dental practice in the Netherlands: 6‐year results of a RCT

Objectives

The aim of this study was to establish the effect of a non‐operative caries treatment programme (the Nexø method) in a general dental practice on dental caries, oral hygiene and self‐reported motivational factors for a 6‐year period.

Methods

A randomized clinical controlled trial study on caries‐preventive measures in 6‐ to 12‐year‐old children was performed among 3 groups of children: (i) care as usual (dental check‐ups twice a year, accompanied by a professional fluoride application and the placement of occlusal sealants on a routine basis) (CONTROL); (ii) care as usual plus 2 extra professional fluoride applications (IPFA); or (iii) a non‐operative caries treatment programme based on the Nexø method in which recall interval and caries‐preventive measures were individualized based on caries activity, eruption stage and motivation of the parent (NOCTP).

Results

A total of 106 12‐year‐old children of the initial 230 6‐year‐olds completed the full‐length study. Children in the NOCTP group developed 0.67 decayed, missing or filled surfaces (DMFS). This value was 0.86 in the IPFA group and 1.02 in control group. The level of oral hygiene was most favourable in the NOCTP group (OHI‐s score 0.61 vs 0.87 [IPFA] and 0.70 [control]). Differences were not statistically significant.

Conclusion

Children who followed the NOCTP programme in this general dental practice did not develop significantly fewer new caries lesions compared with children in the IPFA group or the control group after 6 years. However, the differences identified after the first 3 years of the trial remained apparent.     

Dental caries and body mass index by socio-economic status in Swedish children

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between dental caries, childhood body mass index (BMI), and socioeconomic status in Swedish children. Methods: The study cohort consisted of 2303 10‐year‐old children with data on socioeconomic status, BMI at 4, 5, 7 and 10 years of age, and caries at 6, 10 and 12 years of age. Anthropometric measures were carried out by trained nurses according to standardized routines. The occurrence of caries was registered from county records, and the children were classified into one of five socioeconomic clusters based on their census registration address. Results: Caries prevalence decreased with increasing socioeconomic status at all ages, whereas childhood BMI and proportion of overweight/obese children were unrelated to socioeconomic status. Obese, but not overweight, children had more caries affected teeth than non‐obese, and BMI had an independent, though weak, effect on caries variation in multiple regression. Interestingly, overweight/obese 4‐year‐olds, who had normal body weight at 5, 7 and 10 years of age, had significantly less caries than children who had normal body weight from 4 to 10 years of age. Conclusions: Overweight and caries prevalence are significantly associated in Swedish children. However, the association is weak. Nevertheless, the concept that child dental services and child welfare services can benefit from joint programs is supported.     

Oral health status and reasons for not attending dental care among 12- to 16-year-old children with Down syndrome in special needs centres in Jordan

To cite this article:
Int J Dent Hygiene 10 , 2012; 259–264
DOI: 10.1111/j.1601‐5037.2012.00545.x Al Habashneh R, Al‐Jundi S, Khader Y, Nofel N. Oral health status and reasons for not attending dental care among 12‐ to 16‐year‐old children with Down syndrome in special needs centres in Jordan. Abstract: Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess oral health status, treatment needs, soft and hard tissue findings, as well as reasons for not attending dental care among children with Down syndrome (DS) registered in special needs centres in Jordan. Methods: The sample consisted of a total of 206 participants with a mean age of 13.66 ± 1.47 comprising 103 with DS and 103 age‐ and gender‐matched non‐DS/public school children. Clinical levels of oral hygiene were assessed using Simplified Oral hygiene index, and caries detection was carried out according to WHO caries recording criteria. Results: Children who had DS had a significantly higher percentage of surfaces with severe gingival index (39.9 ± 9.1 versus 15.9 ± 8.0, P < 0.001) and a higher mean of probing pocket depth than children without DS (2.27 ± 0.2 versus 1.81 ± 0.32, P < 0.000). Significantly more peg‐shaped maxillary lateral incisors and retained primary teeth (P < 0.001) were observed in subjects with DS, compared with non‐DS children. Average decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) was significantly lower in male children with DS compared with male non‐DS children only (P = 0.034). The most common reason cited for not taking children to the dentist for DS group was ‘Not aware of the dental problems of their children’ and for non‐DS groups ‘No awareness of the importance of dental visit’ (61.2% and 53%, respectively). Conclusions: While having similar caries level, Jordanian teenagers with DS had more dental anomalies, poorer periodontal health and less dental attendance than age‐ and gender‐matched non‐DS/public school children.     

Dental anxiety in children and its relationship to dental caries and gingival condition

The aim of this study was to determine the levels of dental anxiety, dental caries and gingivitis among 12–15‐year‐old schoolchildren, in Irbid Governorate/northern Jordan, and to evaluate the correlation between these variables. Two schools were selected by a simple random method from each of the five geographic areas in Irbid Governorate. All children (1021), from the 10 selected schools, who participated in this study completed a questionnaire modified from Kleinknecht's Dental Fear Survey (DFS questionnaire). Children underwent oral examination for dental caries and gingival condition, using Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth (DMFT) Index and Löe and Silness Gingival Index (GI), respectively. Results of this survey showed that the prevalence of low to moderate ‘general dental fear’ among the study population was 43% while that of ‘high dental fear’ was 10%. The self‐reported ‘general fear of dental treatment’ was higher among girls than boys. Fear of specific stimuli (pain) was the most common source of dental fear. The sight and sensation of the anaesthetic needle and the sight, sound and sensation of the drill were rated the most fear‐eliciting stimuli. The mean DMFT (2.89) and GI (1.80) of boys was not significantly different from the DMFT (3.37) and GI (1.53) of girls (P > 0.05). Spearman's correlation test demonstrated no association between ‘general dental fear’ and dental caries (r = 0.06) or gingivitis (r = 0.007).     

Dental health and oral mutans streptococci in 2-4-year-old Estonian children

Objective. The aim of this study was to assess the dental health and presence of mutans streptococci (MS) in 2–4‐year‐old Estonian children. Methods. The dental health of 472 2–4‐year‐old children was examined using a mirror and a penlight in 14 daycare centres representing seven communities around Estonia. The mean (± SD) age of the children was 41.4 ± 4.1 months (n = 222). Plaque samples of 222 children were employed to determine the presence of MS using the Dentocult® SM Strip mutans test. Results. Caries was diagnosed in 42% of the children, and the average (± SD) dmft index was 1.6 ± 2.5, ranging from 1.1 ± 1.2 in Tartu to 2.4 ± 3.1 in Võru. The proportion of caries‐free children decreased from 82% in the younger to 63% in the older group (P = 0.001). Among the tested subjects, 58% were colonized with MS, and those with caries were colonized more often than children with no visible caries (80% and 51%, respectively; P = 0.001). Conclusions. The prevalence of dental caries in Estonian 2–4‐year‐olds is higher than in the Nordic countries, but similar to other Baltic nations. Colonization by MS was associated with dental caries.     

Association of maternal risk factors with early childhood caries in schoolchildren of Moradabad, India

International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry 2011 Background. Children who have caries in their primary teeth in infancy or toddlerhood tend to develop dental caries in their permanent dentition. Although risk indicators are helpful in identifying groups at risk, they give little information about the causes of difference in caries experience. Aim. To identify the association between maternal risk factors and early childhood caries among 3‐ to 5‐year‐old schoolchildren of Moradabad City, Uttar Pradesh, India. Design. A total of 150 child–mother pairs participated in the study. The maternal risk factors were assessed by a pretested questionnaire. After obtaining the consent, the mothers and their children were clinically examined for dental caries using Radike criteria (1968). Saliva was collected from all the participating mothers for assessing the Streptococcus mutans level. Results. Significant differences were found in mothers’ caries activity, high level of S. mutans, educational level, socioeconomic status, frequency of maternal sugar consumption, and their child’s caries experience (P < 0.001). Conclusions. Differences between children’s situations in these underlying factors play out as consequential disparities in both their health and the health care they receive.     

Caries and background factors in Norwegian and immigrant 5-year-old children

Wigen TI, Wang NJ. Caries and background factors in Norwegian and immigrant 5‐year‐old children. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2010; 38: 19–28. © 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S Abstract – Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the caries status of 5‐year‐olds in a low caries area, and study associations between dental caries and parent‐related factors: parents’ education, national origin, oral health behaviours and attitudes. Methods: The material consisted of 523 children and was a stratified random sample. Clinical and radiographic examination was performed in 2007. Enamel and dentine caries were recorded at surface level. Parents filled in questionnaires regarding socioeconomic status, their own oral health behaviours and attitudes. Results: Most participants (66%) had no caries experience and 16% had enamel caries only. Dentine caries experience was present in 18% of the children, and 5% had dentine caries experience in five or more teeth. Surfaces with enamel caries constituted half of all surfaces with caries experience. In multiple logistic regression, statistically significant risk indicators for the child having dentine caries experience at the age of five were: having one or both parents of non‐western origin (OR = 4.8), both parents (OR = 3.0) or one parent (OR = 2.1) with low education, parental laxness about the child’s tooth brushing (OR = 2.8), parents’ brushing their own teeth less than twice a day (OR = 2.2) and having parents with frequent sugar intakes (OR = 1.8). Conclusion: Caries prevalence in 5‐year‐olds was strongly associated with parent‐related factors signifying that information on parents’ socioeconomic status, dental behaviours and attitudes should be considered when planning dental services for young children. Our results suggest that the real high risk group is non‐western children whose parents have low education.     

Caries prevalence of permanent teeth: a national survey of children in Iceland using ICDAS

Agustsdottir H, Gudmundsdottir H, Eggertsson H, Jonsson SH, Gudlaugsson JO, Saemundsson SR, Eliasson ST, Arnadottir IB, Holbrook WP. Caries prevalence of permanent teeth: a national survey of children in Iceland using ICDAS. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2010; 38: 299–309. © John Wiley & Sons A/S Abstract – Objectives: The Icelandic Oral Health Survey aimed to obtain new national data on the oral health of Icelandic children and teenagers. Methods: A representative stratified random cluster sample of 2251 Icelandic children in first, seventh and 10th grade, aged approximately 6‐, 12‐ and 15‐years old was examined for caries prevalence using the ICDAS criteria. Bite‐wing digital radiographs were obtained for the children in 7th and 10th grade. Results: D₃MFT scores by visual examination of 6‐, 12‐ and 15‐year olds were 0.12, 1.43 and 2.78 respectively but when including radiographs, the D₃MFT rose to 2.11 at 12 years and 4.25 at 15 years. The Significant Caries Index, SiC, by visual examination for 12 and 15 y was 3.7 and 6.7 respectively but was 4.7 for 12 y and 8.9 for 15 y with radiographs. In all age groups and at most disease levels, caries was active in the majority of the lesions (58–100%). The percentage of children with no visually detectable caries at D₃/D₁ level was 93%/74% for 6 years, 48%/22% for 12 years and 35%/16% for 15 years. When radiographs were included the percentage reduced to 34%/15% for 12 years and 20%/6% for 15 years. Approximately 80% of 12‐ and 15‐year‐olds had at least one of their first molars sealed, with the mean number of sealed first molars being 2.2 among 12 y and 2.0 among 15 y. Conclusions: Caries levels were higher than expected in this national survey and further away from the goals of the National Health Plan for 2010 than anticipated. Caries distribution was skewed with more than half of the children having low caries scores but a wide distribution of caries experience was seen among the remaining population.     

Prevalence and severity of dental caries in Libyan schoolchildren

Objectives: To assess prevalence and severity of dental caries, examine gender differences and assess the relationship of dental caries to socioeconomic status in a group of Libyan schoolchildren. Design and setting: A cross sectional observational study with cluster sampling within schools. Participants: A random sample of 791, 12‐year‐olds in 36 elementary public schools in Benghazi. Methods and main outcome measures: Dental caries was assessed using the DMFT and DMFS indices and WHO (1997) criteria. Information about socioeconomic status was collected through a dental health questionnaire. Results: The prevalence of dental caries was 57.8%. The mean DMFT and DMFS indices were 1.68 (SD ± 1.86) and 2.39 (SD ± 3.05) for all subjects and 2.90 (SD ± 1.56) and 4.14 (SD ± 2.97) for subjects with caries experience. Dental caries was more prevalent amongst girls (P = 0.002). There was a statistically significantly negative association between dental caries and the level of father’s education (P = 0.015). Conclusions: While dental caries prevalence in 12 year‐old Libyan children was high, the mean DMFT was low compared with other developing countries, but higher than the WHO goal for year 2020. The high level of untreated caries is a cause for concern, representing a high unmet treatment need.     

Behavioural and demographic factors during early childhood and poor dental health at 10 years of age

The aim was to elucidate whether variables recorded in early childhood would have a long-lasting predictive value of poor dental health at the age of 10 years in a prospectively followed Finnish population-based cohort setting. The second aim was to find new tools for preventive work in order to improve dental health among children. Poor dental health (dmft + DMFT >or= 5) at 10 years of age was associated with child's nocturnal juice drinking at 18 months. It was associated with the following factors at age 3 years: frequent consumption of sweets; infrequent tooth brushing; plaque and caries on teeth. Of family factors, the following were significant: father's young age at birth of the child; mother's basic 9-year education; mother's caries (i.e. several carious teeth per year), and father's infrequent tooth brushing. Early childhood risk factors of poor dental health seem to be stable even after 10 years of life and the changing of teeth from primary to permanent ones. In preventive work, dental health care staff could offer support to those parents with risk factors in their child rearing tasks.     

MBL2, MASP2, AMELX, and ENAM gene polymorphisms and dental caries in Polish children

Oral Diseases (2012) 18 , 389–395 Objective: The aim of the study was to examine whether the MBL2 C(‐290)G and G161A, MASP2 A359G, AMELX C287T and C522T, and ENAM C2452T polymorphisms are associated with dental caries. Subjects and methods: Genomic DNA of 95 Polish children with ‘higher caries experience’ (HC) and 84 subjects with ‘lower caries experience’ (LC) belonging to two age‐groups (5 and 13 years old) was extracted from the buccal mucosa. SNPs were genotyped with PCR‐RFLP methods. Results: Among 5‐year‐old children, we found significantly higher percentage of subjects carrying MBL2 (‐290)G allele in HC group compared with LC group (43.2%vs 17.6%, P = 0.023). MBL2 C(‐290)G–G161A C–G haplotype was overrepresented in LC group in 5‐year‐olds (P = 0.01), while the opposite association was observed in 13‐year‐olds, where C–G was overrepresented in HC group (P = 0.028). In 5‐year‐old children, the frequency of MBL2 G–G haplotype was higher in HC group compared with LC subjects (P = 0.045), while the opposite association (with borderline significance) was observed in 13‐year‐old children (P = 0.057). SNPs in MASP2, AMELX, and ENAM were not associated with dental caries. Conclusion: MBL2 gene polymorphism is associated with caries experience in Polish children, but the direction of this association seems to be opposite in primary and permanent dentition.     

A longitudinal study of early childhood caries in 9- to 18-month-old Thai infants

Abstract – Objective: To examine the rate and pattern of early childhood caries (ECC) development and to investigate the transitional changes of the carious lesions during a follow‐up period of 3–9 months. Methods: A longitudinal observational community‐based survey of 599 children, 9–18 months old. The children's dental examinations were first carried out at the age of 9 months with re‐examination at 12 and 18 months by five dentists using standardized methods. The affected rates of dental caries were determined for prevalence, incidence density for risk of caries per person (ID_p) and risk by surface (ID_s). Changes in dental status over time were explored from unerupted (U) to sound (S), including enamel caries (D1), dentine caries (D2) and caries involving pulp (D3) by computing transitional probabilities. Results: The prevalence of caries was 2.0%, 22.8% and 68.1% among 9‐, 12‐ and 18‐month olds, respectively. The ID_p observed for newly affected children 9–12 and 12–18 months old was 10.32 and 15.70 persons/100 person‐months, respectively. The ID_s for children 9–12 months old was 2.17 newly affected surfaces/100 surface‐months whereas it was 2.22 surfaces/100 surface‐months for children 12–18 months old. The buccal surface of maxillary incisors was the most affected (44.9%) followed by lingual, mesial and distal surfaces, respectively. The transitional probability of caries progression ranged between 1.79% and 15.38% during the follow‐up period from 9 to 12 months old. It was 3.43–39.60% from 12 to 18 months old. Conclusions: An extremely high caries‐affected rate was found among the study children even before the age of 18 months. The buccal surface of the maxillary incisors was the most affected. The teeth acquired caries at 3–6 months after initial eruption and carious lesions developed continuously over time.