The preschool portion of the survey included 18 Head Start/ECEAP sites in King County with 605 children participating for a response rate of 78%. The survey included seven sites from Seattle Head Start/ECEAP program and 11 sites from the Puget Sound Educational School District program. Sites were randomly selected through the state survey method. All screenings were conducted by calibrated dental professionals who had attended a survey training session sponsored by DOH. Data analysis was done using the EPI-INFO program produced by the CDC.

Preschool children in King County have significantly lower rates of dental disease when compared to preschool children in other areas of the state. (See Table Seven.) The Healthy People 2010 goals for children from two to four years of age are 11% for caries experience and 9% for untreated decay. As the age range in the King County sample was three to five years old children, direct comparisons should be made with caution.

Table Seven: Comparison of Preschool Smile Survey Findings, Washington State and King County

Variables	WA State (n=1172)	King County (n=605)
% with caries experience	45.1%	26.6%
% with untreated decay	25.0%	14.2%
% with rampant decay	15.3%	6.1%
% with Early Childhood Caries (ECC)	17.7%	9.6%

Graph Seven: Comparison of ECC Prevalence Between White and Minority Children

Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is characterized by dental decay on maxillary front teeth. It is associated with a virulent form of decay-causing bacteria and has been linked to particular infant feeding practices, especially bottle feeding during sleep time. In the both the state and King County samples, there are significant differences between white non-Hispanic preschool children and preschool children from minority groups in the prevalence of ECC.