Severity of Nursing Bottle Caries due to Nursing Bottle Habit in Indonesian Preschool Children

Background: Nursing bottle caries is a frustrating condition that is difficult to treat in infants and very young children. It may result in impairment of nutrition and esthetics with accompanying psychological problems.

Purpose: The study was aimed to examine the severity of Nursing Bottle Caries in Indonesian preschool children due to nursing bottle habit.

Methods: The samples were taken from children of 4 different preschools or kindergarten in Sidoarjo and Surabaya City Indonesia. The children were in the range of age 2,5 to 3,5 years old; had nursing bottle caries; had nursing habit; had no systemic disease. The variable of the study were the severity of nursing bottle caries, the nursing bottle habit including the age of initial use, duration, timing, and frequency of bottle feeding, type of formula milk, the viscosity of formula milk, additional of sugar, and what usually do after bottle feeding. Prolonged Nursing Habit Caries Index used to examine the presence of nursing bottle caries patern and its severity. The data was statistically tested.

Results: The study showed that the children had nursing bottle caries grade 2 and 5. Most of them in grade 5 had nursing habit before bed started prior to their first birthday and had more than six nursing bottle per day. The more viscous the more severe the nursing caries would be. The addition of sweetener made the severity of caries increased.

Conclusion: The study showed that the additional sweeteners in bottled milk can be considered to have a more prominent influence than other factors.