Early Childhood Caries: A Literature Review

Abstract

Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is defi ned as the presence of one or more decayed tooth surfaces in any primary tooth in children 71 months of age or younger. ECC is the most common chronic illness among children and adolescents. Studies have found caries prevalence among preschool children varies greatly in different countries, ranging from 17 to 94%. However, in most of the studies; over 90% of decayed teeth were left untreated. Caries progression can lead to pain and reduced ability to chew and eat, which may also lead to iron defi ciency due to malnutrition. Reduction of quality of life for children with ECC, resulting from disturbed sleeping and concentration problems, has been reported. Children with severe caries may experience reduced weight and delayed growth. This paper provides an updated literature review of ECC. The aetiology, clinical features, caries prevalence in recent literature, consequences of caries infection and management of ECC are discussed.