ABSTRACT
Introduction: Early childhood caries (ECC) remains a major challenge among the 5-6 year olds in Malaysia
with a caries prevalence of 71.3% as indicated in the last survey of preschool children in 2015. Studies have
shown that behavior and income status can influence development of ECC. Objectives: The aim of this study
was to measure the caries prevalence among 2 – 5 years old preschool children and to study the association of
parents’ socio behavioral factors on ECC. Materials and methods: 140 preschool children participated in this
study. Parents were given a set of structured questionnaires and oral examination was conducted on their children
after receiving consent. Results: Findings showed prevalence of dental caries was 50.1% with mean dft score
of 2.51. There was significant association between dental caries and children drinking formula milk and sweet
drinks in their bottles: (p