Early Childhood Caries (ECC)
Dental caries can begin soon after tooth eruption, developing on smooth surfaces, progressing rapidly and having a lasting impact on the child’s dentition. Children experience baby teeth caries as infants or toddlers, having a much greater probability of subsequent carries in both baby teeth and permanent dentition. Baby teeth decay is the most common chronic infectious disease of childhood, caused by bacteria, mainly streptococcus mutun (Streptococcus mutans are gram-positive cocci shaped bacteria) and sugary foods on the tooth enamel. Mutun bacteria can spread from mother to infant, and break down sugars for energy, causing an acidic environment in the mouth and result in demineralization of the tooth enamel.
- Early childhood caries is a serious public health problem in both developing and industrialized countries.
- Early childhood can begin early in life, progresses rapidly in those who are high risk, and often go untreated.
- Its consequences can affect the immediate and long term quality of life of the child and family.
- Childhood caries can also affect the child and family socially and economically.
Different names and terminology have been used to refer the presence of caries in young children:
- Early childhood tooth decay
- Early childhood caries
- Baby bottle-fed tooth decay
- Comfort caries
- Nursing caries
- Maxillary anterior caries
- Rampant caries
These terms indicate some of the causes of dental caries in Preschool children.
Avoiding Caries- Promoting Feeding Behaviors
- Infants should not be put to sleep with a bottle containing fermentable Carbohydrates
- Breastfeeding should be avoided after the first primary tooth begins to erupt and other dietary carbohydrates are introduced.
- Parents should encourage the infant to drink from a cup by their first birthday.
- Repetitive drinks of carbohydrates from bottle or cup should be avoided
- Avoid or dilute sugary drinks
Fluoride
Fluoride are found naturally throughout the world, they are present to some extent in all foods and water so that all humans ingest some fluoride on a daily bases. Fluorides are used by communities as public health measure to adjust the concentration of fluoride in drinking water to an optimum level (water fluoridation)
By individuals by the form of:
- Toothpaste
- Rinses
- Lozenges
- Chewable tablets
- Dental application gels
- Dental varnishes
In Dental health the benefit of fluoride varnish works by increasing the concentration of fluoride on the outer surface of the tooth, therefore it’s best to apply fluoride varnish during the early stages of demineralization.
When fluoride varnish has been applied the surface of the tooth it hardens when it comes in contact with saliva, allowing the high concentration of fluoride to be in contact with the tooth enamel for an extended period of time.
Tooth brushing with fluoride toothpaste is the most cost effective self applied method to prevent baby or adult teeth cavities at practically all ages. Because small children usually swallow 30% of the paste it is Important to limit the amount of the paste to a pea size or less.
Did you know:
Fluoride products have been shown to reduce caries between 30%-70%, compared with no fluoride therapy.
Treatment
Examining a child by his/her first birthday is ideal in the prevention and intervention of early childhood caries.