Caries in primary teeth and caries in permanent teeth: association and effect modifiers

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between caries in primary teeth and caries in permanent teeth among primary school students, and to identify potential effect modifiers of this relationship. Methods: This retrospective cohort study utilized real-world caries examination data from the School Dental Care Service (SDCS) provided by the Hong Kong SAR government. Primary school students in grades 3 (P3) or 4 (P4) who participated in the SDCS were recruited from school dental clinics. The exposure was defined as any caries experience in primary teeth in Grade 1. To account for potential confounding factors, the marginal structural model with overlap weight was applied to estimate the average treatment effect for the overlap population. Results: Among 825 children (mean [SD] age in P1: 6.2 [0.3]; boys 54.7%) without caries in permanent teeth (DMFT = 0) in P1, the incidence of caries experience in permanent teeth (DMFT > 0) increased to 5.7% and 10.5% in P2 and P3, respectively. Among those with caries experience in primary teeth (dmft > 0, n = 443), 15.4% had caries experience in permanent teeth in P3 compared to only 4.9% among those without (n = 382; adjusted risk ratio 2.8 [95% CI: 1.7-4.8; P < .001]; adjusted risk difference 9.6% [95% CI: 5.4-13.8; P < .001]). Sex and only-child status significantly modified this relationship, with stronger associations observed in boys and non-only children. Conclusions: Caries in primary teeth increased the risk of developing caries in permanent teeth. This association was modified by sex and only-child status. Clinical Significance: Controlling caries in primary teeth is essential for preventing caries in permanent teeth. Risk-stratified interventions targeting boys and non-only children may optimize preventive outcomes and resource allocation in oral health promotion programs.