Table 2. Factors Related to the Prevalence AND/OR Incidence of Primary Teeth Caries in Children Age 6 Years and Younger.

Sociodemographic factors	Dietary factors	Oral hygiene
Gender (male)27,51,52,81 Residence (urban) 24 Age65,79,81 Non-Hispanic Caucasian81 Low socioeconomic status2,26,85,101 Low education of the caregiver22 Low parental education24,81,56 No schooling of mother51 Low maternal education1,22 Greater household size 1,22,81 Young maternal age1,63 Birth order (3 or more)33,54,80,101 Drinking water in household1,33 Ethnicity30,33,84 Mother unemployed28,48 Single mother27 Low household income 27,33,40,48,51 Single parenting household36 First born child28	Daily sweet snacks17,54 High sugar foods >1x/day15,29,74,101 Cariostat 3 or more54 Daily consumption of fruit juice79 Added sugar beverage intake1,42 Consumption of beverages/carbonated drinks daily54 Sweet food index >2453 Presweetened cereal consumption at meals 25 No milk consumption at meals 25 Use of thirst quenchers other than water30 Added sugar22,30 High density of sugar at 12 months64 Very frequent sugar consumption75 Cariogenic food consumption82 Sweet drinks1,87,100 Regular exposure to sweet drinks in the first 6 months83 Nighttime consumption of sweet beverages after 24 months38 Eating sweets several times a day87 Added sugar at snacks25 Pre-chewed food87 Juice in bottle during day-time86 Snack more than 3x/day28 Solid sugar consumption79 Consumption of sweets between meals80 Low levels of Vitamin D during pregnancy32,76 Low levels of calcium during pregnancy32 Low levels of dairy products during pregnancy32 Low levels of curd during pregnancy32 Low levels of cheese during pregnancy32	Daily frequency of toothbrushing at <1 year old24,27,33,53,87 No daily toothbrushing by parents2,54 Age brushing started >12,33,38,53 Visible plaque31,39,42,48,89 Parental indulgence while toothbrushing2 Lack of fluoride toothpaste28,49,53,101 Poor oral hygiene exam at 18 months26,46 Low Oral Hygiene Index score84 Trouble with toothbrushing48 Visible plaque index79

Factors related to breastfeeding/bottle feeding		Oral bacterial flora	Other factors*
Breastfeeding	Bottle feeding
Duration of breastfeeding <6 months56 No breastfeeding15,54 Prolonged breastfeeding >12 months14,46,64,101 Breastfeeding at least 6 months34 Nocturnal breastfeeding30,31,46 Breastfeeding35 Daily breastfeeding frequency at 12 months64 >15 minutes/feeding at night41 ≥2 nocturnal breastfeeding41 Breastfeeding =24 months94	Sleep with bottle at 30 months 1-6x/week51 Nocturnal bottle feeding64 Nighttime bottle use at 2 months64 Bottle feeding38,84,85 Slept at night with bottle containing sweet drink33,101 Feeding to help them sleep86 On-demand feeding86 Feeding associated with nap time86 Age of weaning from bottle36,86 Formula in bottle at night86 Child held bottle while falling asleep (propping)86 Prolonged bottle feeding, especially at night36,93 Added sugar in bottle48 Sleeping while feeding after 12 months87 Feeding habits before 6 months87	Presence of Streptococcus mutans48 Increased baseline salivary S. mutans levels30,31,42–45,71 Presence of LB37,55	Presence of enamel defects19,31,48,47,49 Smoking by family members27,54 1 parent born abroad2 2 parents born abroad2,73 Parent’s dental attendance2 Parent’s negative attitude2 High chance locus of control2 Drinking water in household/home water fluoride level27,28,56 Low birthweight56,96 History of previous dental visit at age 3 years29 Previous dental experience14 Regular dental check ups <553 Late bedtime36,54 Low body mass index31 One or both parents of non-western origin63 Blue collar occupation of caretaker30 Reported poor oral health of father30,33 Teeth erupted at 18 months >633 Low Apgar score33 High density of lipids at 12 months64 Soda consumption 2-6x/day65 Mother missing teeth75 Incidence of caries (DMFT>0)48,70 Parental stress26 Reason for dental visits84,101 Complication during pregnancy78 Delivery (instrument/Caesarean)78,90 Tantrums/strong temper36 Parental smoking24,96 Ear infection84 No previous dental visit28 Day care person28 Visible abscess48 Mutation in the locus79 Inappropriate fluoride supplementation36 Mothers knowledge of when to clean the child’s mouth and brush the child’s teeth48 Oral thrush92