الفهرس 
INTRODUCTION AND REVIEW OF LITERATUREOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Obesity can now be considered the fastest growing health related problem in the world. The proportion of children and adolescents with excessive fat accumulation has increased significantly. Obesity and dental caries both are multifactorial diseases that impact children’s health and psychosocial development. They both share common, modifiable, influences such as diet and lifestyle.
A cross-sectional comparative study designs was conducted to investigate the relation between obesity and dietary habits with caries experience and stimulated salivary flow rate, fifty obese early adolescents, with age range of 12-14 years, and fulfilling the selection criteria were recruited from preparatory schools in Alexandria. Another group of 50 normal weight early adolescents were also recruited to serve as a control group. The controls attended the same schools as the obese subjects.
For each subject BMI for age percentile was calculated after measuring the subject’s weight and height. It was determined by comparing the resultant BMI with the values according to obesity cut-off points proposed by WHO 2007. Waist circumference was measured. The resultant value was compared to values according to obesity cut-off points proposed by Jolliffe and Janssen 2007. Dental caries was assessed using the DMFS index according to WHO criteria. Stimulated salivary sample was collected to measure the flow rate. Each subject answered a structured questionnaire asking about demographic data, oral hygiene practices, previous dental history and dietary habits using 24-hour dietary record and food frequency questionnaire. The collected data were compared to caloric needs and recommended daily amounts of different food groups according to American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommendations. Cariogenic food total exposure time was calculated by multiplying the exposure by 20 minutes.
Results showed that obese early adolescents had significant higher DMFS scores and lower stimulated salivary flow rate compared to normal weight subjects, but with no direct association. Obese subjects also had significant longer cariogenic food total exposure time. Obese subjects consumed grain group food items more than double what normal weight subjects had consumed with significant difference. Obese subjects had significantly more carbonated beverages, salty snacks, hard candies, chocolate, added sugar and white bread.