Nutrition and Oral Health: Dietary Habits and Their Impact on Pediatric Dental Health in Saudi Arabia.

Pediatric oral diseases are highly prevalent in Saudi Arabia, with dietary behaviors playing an important role in their development. This prevalence highlights the urgent need to examine the dietary habits contributing to these widespread oral health challenges. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the associations between common dietary habits and oral health outcomes among Saudi children aged 3–12 years. In a cross-sectional sample of 387 children from Taibah University Hospital, frequent sweets intake was the strongest dietary predictor of dental caries and tooth pain (both p < 0.001). Moreover, chips/snacks consumption was modestly associated with malocclusion (p = 0.046) and carbonated drink consumption with bad breath (p = 0.007). Among hygiene behaviors, only higher tooth-brushing frequency was linked with halitosis (p = 0.005). Other dietary and hygiene practices showed no direct associations with caries, gingivitis, erosion, malocclusion, or chewing/speaking difficulties. These findings support focused public health strategies to reduce sugar, chips, and drinks intake and promote regular brushing, and demonstrate the need for future longitudinal and clinical studies to confirm and expand on these results.