What does this research mean for the field?

Children's caries status, oral health-related behaviors, and oral microbial profiles are significantly associated with those of their parents, with specific factors like snacking frequency and certain bacterial abundances correlating exclusively with mothers. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To evaluate the associations between preschool children and their parents regarding oral health status, oral health-related behaviours, and oral microbiota profiles.

September 3, 2026Journal of DentistryOpen Access

Oral health status, oral health-related behaviours, and oral microbiota in child–mother and child–father pairs

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Authors

NZNi Zhou YWYao Wu HWHai Ming Wong

Discussion

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Overview

Cross-sectional study reveals parental links to dental caries and oral microbiota in preschool children, highlighting the necessity of family-centered oral health promotion.

Key Points

To evaluate the associations between preschool children and their parents regarding oral health status, oral health-related behaviours, and oral microbiota profiles.
Assessed caries and oral hygiene in a cross-sectional cohort of 294 families using calibrated dental examinations and parent-completed questionnaires.
Profiled plaque samples from children with severe early childhood caries and their parents via 16S rRNA sequencing.
Analyzed behavioral and microbial correlations using Principal Coordinates Analysis, Binary Logistic Regression, and correlation coefficients.
Children had higher odds of dental caries if their fathers (OR = 4.67, 95% CI: 1.74–12.49, p = 0.002) or mothers (OR = 2.63, 95% CI: 1.30–5.33, p = 0.007) had caries.
Toothbrushing duration correlated with both fathers (rs = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.41–0.72, p < 0.001) and mothers (rs = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.45–0.64, p < 0.001), but snacking frequency correlated only with mothers (rs = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.33–0.56, p < 0.001).
Relative abundances of Porphyromonas gingivalis (rs = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.16–0.68, adjusted p = 0.009) and Streptococcus sobrinus (rs = 0.42, 95% CI: 0.12–0.65, adjusted p = 0.021) were significantly correlated only in child-mother pairs.

Cite This Study

Zhou et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a9935c7636c6408cfa7e3ad https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdent.2026.107006

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September 3, 2026Journal of DentistryOpen Access

Oral health status, oral health-related behaviours, and oral microbiota in child–mother and child–father pairs

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Authors

NZNi Zhou YWYao Wu HWHai Ming Wong

Discussion

Member takes

Overview

Cross-sectional study reveals parental links to dental caries and oral microbiota in preschool children, highlighting the necessity of family-centered oral health promotion.

Key Points

To evaluate the associations between preschool children and their parents regarding oral health status, oral health-related behaviours, and oral microbiota profiles.
Assessed caries and oral hygiene in a cross-sectional cohort of 294 families using calibrated dental examinations and parent-completed questionnaires.
Profiled plaque samples from children with severe early childhood caries and their parents via 16S rRNA sequencing.
Analyzed behavioral and microbial correlations using Principal Coordinates Analysis, Binary Logistic Regression, and correlation coefficients.
Children had higher odds of dental caries if their fathers (OR = 4.67, 95% CI: 1.74–12.49, p = 0.002) or mothers (OR = 2.63, 95% CI: 1.30–5.33, p = 0.007) had caries.
Toothbrushing duration correlated with both fathers (rs = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.41–0.72, p < 0.001) and mothers (rs = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.45–0.64, p < 0.001), but snacking frequency correlated only with mothers (rs = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.33–0.56, p < 0.001).
Relative abundances of Porphyromonas gingivalis (rs = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.16–0.68, adjusted p = 0.009) and Streptococcus sobrinus (rs = 0.42, 95% CI: 0.12–0.65, adjusted p = 0.021) were significantly correlated only in child-mother pairs.

Cite This Study

Zhou et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a9935c7636c6408cfa7e3ad https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdent.2026.107006

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