An Update On Early Childhood Caries – A Review

Abstract

Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is one of the rapidly progressing dental carious lesions found to be affecting innumerable children around the globe in an endemic manner. Bacterial plaque retention, inadequate oral hygiene and increased frequency of sugar consumption are considered as the primary risk factors causing this lesion. Recent evidences have shown that ECC has undeniable influence on child’s growth and development which can result in early loss of deciduous dentition, insufficient space for erupting succedaneous teeth, poorly developed speech and mastication which can finally affect the child’s growth physically and in psychological constraints. Hence it is highly essential that these carious lesions have to be maintained and prevented in a therapeutically systematic manner which can benefit the child. This paper presents a review which enhances an update on Early childhood caries and details the various contributing factors and adds up the recent treatment and risk assessment strategies in ascertaining the carious lesions prior its advancement.