Association of Nutritional Status and Oral With Caries Status in Preschool Children in Manitoba.

To gain a greater understanding of the relationship between oral Veillonella, nutrition, and early childhood caries (ECC). A case-control design was used. A total of 158 children (83 with ECC, 75 caries-free) were recruited in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, from March 2019 to November 2020. Nutritional profiles were determined using NutriSTEP (Nutrition Screening Tool for Every Preschooler and Toddler). Bacterial presence was assessed using relative abundance data from 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing of plaque samples. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to estimate the association of ECC with NutriSTEP scores and oral Veillonella. Caries-affected children tended to be older, Indigenous, and established residents, have less-educated parents (parents/caregivers), and live in rural/remote areas (P<0.05). Caries-affected children had higher total NutriSTEP scores than caries-free children (23.7±6.8 versus 21.1±6.6; P=0.008). Caries-affected children ate fewer vegetables, consumed more fast food, and ate too little/too much during the day (P<0.05). Children with abundant Veillonella dispar (odds ratio [OR] equals 4.21, 95 percent confidence interval [95% CI] equals 2.03 to 8.74) and Veillonella parvula (OR equals 2.33, 95% CI equals 1.10 to 4.91) with higher NutriSTEP scores (OR equals 1.04, 95% CI equals 0.99 to 1.10; and OR equals 1.08, 95% CI equals 1.02 to 1.14, respectively) were more likely to have ECC. The findings reflect the importance of V. dispar and V. parvula for dental caries and support a tentative association between oral Veillonella, nutrition, and early childhood caries. Children with abundant Veillonella and greater nutritional risk may be more susceptible to ECC.