Quinonez, Rocio B.Santos, Robert G.Eckert, George J.Keels, Martha AnnLevy, StevenLevy, Barcey T.Jackson, RichardFontana, Margherita2022-10-272022-10-272020-11-15Quinonez RB, Santos RG, Eckert GJ, et al. Influence of Temperament As a Risk Indicator for Early Childhood Caries. Pediatr Dent. 2020;42(6):470-475.https://hdl.handle.net/1805/30428Purpose: To evaluate the association between temperament and caries. Methods: A total of 408 primary caregiver-child pairs were followed for 36 months; they completed the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire Very Short-Form (ECBQ-VSF) at age four years. Demographic, behavioral, and clinical data were obtained at ages one, two-and-a-half, and four years, with caries experience assessed each time using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS). The ECBQ-VSF (36 items) was used to measure three child temperament domains: (1) surgency; (2) negative affect; and (3) effortful control. The associations between cavitated carious lesion experience by age four years (decayed, missing, and filled primary surfaces [dmfs] score greater than zero; d equals ICDAS score greater than or equal to three) and the three ECBQ-VSF temperament domains were analyzed using generalized estimating equation models. Results: Temperament domains predicted the number of carious surfaces (dmfs). After adjusting for covariates, every one-point increase in surgency and one-point increase in negative affect were associated with 77 percent and 31 percent increases in dmfs, respectively (P<0.05), and every one-point increase in effortful control was associated with a 39 percent decrease in dmfs (P<0.05). Conclusions: By age four years, children with higher levels of surgency and negative affect have a higher caries experience, whereas children with greater effortful control have a lower caries experience.en-USPublisher PolicyTemperamentDental cariesCaries riskCohort studyChildrenArticle