Is childhood oral health the 'canary in the coal mine' for poor adult general health? Findings from two New Zealand birth cohort studies.

Five-year-olds with greater caries experience were more likely to have poorer self-rated general health by midlife. Beyond this longitudinal association, future research should examine whether childhood dental caries is associated with objective/biological markers of physical health and whether it may have utility as an early indicator for poor general health in adulthood.