Examining the relationship between iron deficiency anemia and early childhood caries

ABSTRACT Objective: This study aims to investigate the relationship between Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) and Early Childhood Caries (ECC) in children, evaluating the effect of iron deficiency on the development of dental caries. Method: This cross-sectional study included children aged 24 to 71 months who presented to Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine. The study consisted of two groups; IDA group and Control group, each comprising 75 participants. Intraoral examinations of the children were conducted at Pamukkale University Faculty of Dentistry, where decayed (d), missed (m), and filled (f) teeth were recorded. Caries index scores were compared between children with and without IDA, and the data were analyzed statistically (p<0.05). Results: The d, m, and dmft scores were significantly higher in the IDA group compared to the Control group (p<0.05). In the intergroup comparison by gender, the d score was significantly higher in boys, while the m and dmft scores were significantly higher in girls (p<0.05). No statistically significant gender-based differences were observed within the groups for any of the caries index scores (p>0.05). As age increased, a statistically significant rise was noted in the m, f, and dmft scores in the IDA group and in all scores in the control group (p<0.05). Conclusion: The incidence of dental caries and caries index scores were found to be higher in children diagnosed with IDA compared to healthy children. For all caries index scores, it was observed that gender had no effect in both groups and increased with age. Keywords: child, caries, iron deficiency anemia, early childhood caries