CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINE: SEVERE EARLY CHILDHOOD CARIES INTRODUCTION Dental caries affects humans of all ages throughout the world and remains the major dental health problem among school children globally. Caries is plaque-induced acid demineralization of enamel or dentin. With time, the interaction of cariogenic microorganisms and fermentable carbohydrates may induce demineralization of tooth structure.
Childhood and early adolescence are crucial periods in the development of healthy dentition. Early childhoodcaries (ECC) is a major public health problem, being the most common chronic infectious childhood disease, which is difficult to control. While not life-threatening, its impact on individuals and communities is considerable, resulting in pain, impairment of function, deleterious influence on the child’s growth rate, body weight, and ability to thrive, thus reducing quality of…
