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Cited by 212Dental Health and Care UtilizationOral microbiology and periodontitis researchdental development and anomalies

Update on early childhood caries since the Surgeon General's Report

Open access
Tinanoff, Norman, Reisine, Susan·2009·Academic Pediatrics
DOI 10.1016/j.acap.2009.08.006PMC PMC2791669
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Abstract

The 2000 Surgeon General's Report on Oral Health included a limited discussion of the condition known as early childhood caries. Because of its high prevalence, its impact on young children's quality of life and potential for increasing their risk of caries in the permanent dentition, early childhood caries is arguably one of the most serious and costly health conditions among young children. A necessary first step in preventing dental caries in preschool children is understanding and evaluating the child's caries risk factors. Previous caries experience and white spot lesions should automatically classify a preschool child as high risk for caries. Microbial factors, such as presence of visible plaque and tests that identify a child as having high levels of mutans streptococci, also predict caries in young children. Frequency of sugar consumption, enamel developmental defects, social factors such as socioeconomic status, psychosocial factors, and being an ethnic minority also have shown to be relevant in determining caries risk. On the basis of this knowledge of specific risk factors for an individual, different preventive strategies and different intensities of preventive therapies can be implemented. Caries preventive strategies in preschool children include fluoride therapy, such as supervised tooth brushing with a fluoridated dentifrice, systemic fluoride supplement to children who live in a nonfluoridated area and who are at risk for caries, and professional topical fluoride with fluoride varnish. There is emerging evidence that intensive patient counseling or motivational interviews with parents to change specific behaviors may reduce caries prevalence in their children. Findings regarding antimicrobial interventions, efforts to modify diets, and traditional dental health education are less consistent.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.acap.2009.08.006

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  • Poor oral hygiene in early childhood leads to dental caries in childhood and adolescence.

    “poor oral hygiene in early childhood leads to the development of dental caries in childhood and adolescence”

    From Benefits of a bedtime routine in young children: Sleep, development, and beyond. (2018) · cites this paper as [97]

    The Risk Factors for ECC > Visible Plaque section reports that plaque on primary teeth correlates with caries risk in young children. But Interventions to Reduce ECC > Tooth Brushing with Fluoridated Toothpaste says the relationship between oral hygiene status and caries experience is weak. The paper does not establish that poor hygiene causes caries or that this effect extends into adolescence. Page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Practicing regular oral hygiene from an early age is critical for supporting child health.

    “practicing regular oral hygiene from an early age is critical for supporting child health”

    From Benefits of a bedtime routine in young children: Sleep, development, and beyond. (2018) · cites this paper as [97]

    The “Tooth Brushing with Fluoridated Toothpaste” section reports that daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste reduces caries in 3–6-year-olds, supporting early preventive care. It also says evidence that brushing or oral hygiene alone prevents caries is weak. The source therefore does not support the broader, unqualified claim that regular oral hygiene is critical for child health. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Oral hygiene likely affects sleep indirectly by preventing dental caries and related oral pain, since untreated dental caries are associated with pain-related sleep disruption.

    “Oral hygiene likely has an indirect effect on sleep through the prevention of dental caries and related oral pain, as studies have shown that untreated dental caries are associated with pain-related sleep disruption”

    From Benefits of a bedtime routine in young children: Sleep, development, and beyond. (2018) · cites this paper as [97]

    The Child, Family and Societal Impact of ECC section reports that untreated caries commonly causes dental pain and that children’s dental pain affects sleep. The Tooth Brushing with Fluoridated Toothpaste section supports caries prevention through brushing with fluoride toothpaste, but says evidence for toothbrushing or oral hygiene alone is weak. The claim’s general reference to oral hygiene omits that important qualification. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Hygiene activities such as bathing and brushing teeth directly affect children's health by preventing illness and disease.

    “Hygiene-related activities such as bathing and brushing teeth have direct effects on children's health by preventing illness and disease”

    From Benefits of a bedtime routine in young children: Sleep, development, and beyond. (2018) · cites this paper as [97]

    The “Tooth Brushing with Fluoridated Toothpaste” section says that daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste reduces caries incidence in young children. It also says evidence that brushing by itself reduces caries is limited. The paper does not address bathing or the broader prevention of illness and disease claimed here. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Lower SES children and families have increased risk for dental caries, other health concerns, and lower levels of school readiness and academic achievement.

    “studies have shown increased risk for dental caries, other health concerns, and lower levels of school readiness and academic achievement in lower SES children and families [1,97,107].”

    From Benefits of a bedtime routine in young children: Sleep, development, and beyond. (2018) · cites this paper as [97]

    The Socioeconomic Status section states that preschool children from low-income families are more likely to have caries. The Child, Family and Societal Impact of ECC section discusses school absence among children with severe caries, but does not establish lower school readiness or academic achievement in lower-SES children; the paper also does not establish the claimed broader risk of other health concerns. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. [6]Cassamassimo PS Thikkurissy S Edelstein BL Maiorini E Beyond dmft: The human and economic cost of early childhood caries JADA 2009 140 650 657 19491160
  2. [14]Edelstein BA Vargas CM Candelaria D Characteristics of children visiting emergency rooms at dental schools Pediatric Dent 2006 28 431 437 17036709

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Authors
Tinanoff, N., & Reisine, S.
Affiliations
University of Maryland, Baltimore (US)
Corresponding author
Tinanoff, Norman
ORCID
Venue
Academic Pediatrics
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2009-11
Volume
9
Issue
6
Pages
396-403
ISSN
1876-2859 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.acap.2009.08.006
PMC
PMC2791669
OpenAlex
W1965201326
Cited by
212
References
86
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 25 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 14
FWCI
10.15
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Academic Pediatrics (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (U54DE019275)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Dentistry › Periodontics › Dental Health and Care Utilization
  • Health Sciences › Dentistry › Periodontics › Oral microbiology and periodontitis research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › dental development and anomalies
Keywords
early childhood caries, caries risk factors, preschool children, mutans streptococci, dental plaque, white spot lesions, fluoride therapy, fluoridated dentifrice, parental counseling, motivational interviewing, sugar consumption, socioeconomic status, oral health policy
MeSH terms
Child, Child, Preschool, Dental Caries, Dental Caries Susceptibility, Dental Plaque, Feeding Behavior, Female, Humans, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Male, Oral Health, Preventive Dentistry, Quality of Life, Risk Factors, Social Class, United States, Prevalence, Dental Care for Children

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