This Japanese cohort study analysed data for 76,920 children born between 2004 and 2010 attending routine health checkups finding that exposure to tobacco smoke at 4 months of age was associated with an approximately twofold increased risk of caries.
[read the full story...]Caries risk assessment programmes in pre-school children
Identifying children at greatest risk of caries in order to optimize preventive activity has been a goal of the dental profession for many a long year and a number of reviews of potential risk factors have been conducted ( see Dental Elf 10th Dec 2012). This study aimed to assess a number of caries risk [read the full story…]
Use of infant nutrition guidance did not lead to a significant reduction in early childhood caries
Early childhood caries remains a significant problem in many parts of the world and has been defined by the American Dental Association as:- the presence of one or more decayed (non-cavitated or cavitated lesions), missing (due to caries) or filled tooth surfaces in any primary tooth in a preschool-age child between birth and 71 months [read the full story…]
Risk factors for early childhood caries
Caries in children aged 71 months and younger or early childhood caries (ECC) has been reported with a prevalence of between 20 and 80% in some populations. The aim of this review was two fold, to assess the association between the acquisition of oral cariogenic bacteria and caries outcomes in infants and to identify the [read the full story…]
Maternal counselling using a motivational-interviewing approach reduced caries in indigenous children
The aim of this trial was to test the use of motivational interviewing (MI) as an approach to control caries in indigenous children. This cluster-randomised trial was conducted in Cree communities in Quebec. Cree women who recently had given birth or were between the 12th and 34th weeks of pregnancy were recruited. Mothers allocated to [read the full story…]
Early childhood caries – maternal factors and early colonization of oral bacteria
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry define Early childhood caries (ECC) as the presence of one or more decayed (cavitated or non-cavitated lesions), missing (due to caries), or filled tooth surfaces in any primary tooth in a child younger than 71 months of age. This aim of this review was twofold to assess the relationship [read the full story…]
Parental influences on early childhood caries
The broad aim of this review was to look at the literature that has assessed the role of parental influences in early childhood caries (ECC). The authors had 4 questions they were hoping to address. What parental variables have been studied within the context of dental caries development in young children aged 0–6 years? What [read the full story…]
Daily use of chlorhexidine gel in addition to regular brushing with low fluoride toothpaste did not provide additional reductions in early childhood caries
Early childhood caries (ECC) remains a challenge for many communities. Chlorhexidine (CHX) is a common oral antiseptic with effective bactericidal activity against mutans streptococci (MS) and early colonisation of the oral cavity by MS has been identified as a risk factor for ECC. The aim of this study was to test whether the daily application [read the full story…]
In pre-school children addition of casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate paste to regular brushing with fluoridated toothpaste did not have added decay prevention effect
Early childhood caries (ECC) remains a significant public health problem and evidence (Yengopal 2009) and has suggested that casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP) may improve the effectiveness of fluoridated toothpaste. The aim of this study was to see if adding the daily application of a CPP-ACP-containing paste for 1 yr is superior to regular fluoride [read the full story…]
Home visits and telephone contacts reduced early childhood caries in a low socio-economic area
Early childhood caries (ECC) remains an important clinical challenge so a range of preventive approaches have been used. The aims of this study were to investigate the efficacy of home visits (HV) compared with telephone contacts (TC) and no contact (NC) in reducing ECC , Mutans streptococcus (MS) levels and lactobacilli(LB) colonisation in children from [read the full story…]