(982) Association of breastfeeding and early childhood preventative dental care

Objective:
Breastfeeding has established benefits for maternal and childhood health. However, mixed evidence exists on the impact of breastfeeding and childhood dental caries. Preventative pediatric dental care can mitigate the risk of dental caries in this population. Thus, we examined the association of breastfeeding and preventative dental care visits among children age 0-5 years in the United States.

Study Design: We analyzed data from the 2021 National Survey of Children’s Health, an annual cross-sectional survey across multiple domains of a family unit’s social determinants of health. The primary outcome was preventative dental care visit, defined by presence or absence of a dentist or oral health provider visit in past 12 months (check-ups, education, cleanings, sealants, fluoride, or x-ray). The main exposures were breastfeeding and breastfeeding exclusivity. Established parental and household unit characteristics were explored. A weighted and multivariable logistic regression analysis calculated adjusted odds ratios of preventative dental care visits.

Results:
The majority 24,668 (81%) of children age 0-5 years had received breastmilk via direct or expressed breast milk. More than half 14,929 (56%) of these children had a preventative dental care visit. Dental check-up, cleaning, education, x-ray, fluoride, and sealant visits occurred more frequently in those children who were breastfed compared to those who were not (Table 1). After adjusting for differences between groups, breastfeeding or exclusive breastfeeding was not associated with odds of preventative dental visits, while having unmarried parents and less severe household poverty was associated with reduced odds (Table 2).

Conclusion:


Social determinants such as family and economic instability–not breastfeeding status–were key drivers of preventative dental care. Dental health care education should be integrated into prenatal care conversations around breastfeeding to dispel myths and promote optimal parental and early childhood health.