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Preventive
Purpose: The purpose was to measure the association between food insecurity and caries risk in children under 5 years of age and to determine the effectiveness of a food insecurity screening tool during dental exams in identifying and reducing the risk of caries in children.
Methods: A survey containing questions about food insecurity was completed by caregivers for children under 5 years of age who live in central Brooklyn. The survey consisted of 15 questions for which 11 were completed by caregivers regarding food insecurity, oral hygiene, and diet. The remaining 4 questions were completed by a pediatric dentist regarding the presence of caries. The caries risk was then determined using a caries risk assessment tool provided by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.
Results: Results pending.