Dental caries in Faroese children exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls

Abstract The effects of exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on dental caries of first permanent molars in children in the Faroe Islands, where the population is exposed to PCBs in their traditional diet, were evaluated. This study was part of a cohort study aimed at determining developmental risks resulting from the consumption of contaminated seafood. One hundred and fourteen children from a birth cohort of 182 mother–child pairs, aged 9–10 years, were examined. Caries scoring was performed according to WHO criteria; cavitated and noncavitated lesions were included. Exposure assessment was based on the PCB concentrations in maternal milk samples. Data from the project data set provided information on various confounding factors. Mean maternal milk PCB concentration was 2205 (range 70–11,150) ng/g lipids. The number of carious surfaces of first permanent molars correlated with milk PCB concentration ( r = 0.26, p = 0.01). In multivariate linear regression analysis, PCB exposure was significantly related to caries susceptibility. The findings support an association between children's PCB exposure and caries prevalence.