CARIES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD: A GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM AND ITS CONSEQUENCES TO CHILDREN'S HEALTH

Abstract

This study aims to carry out a literature review to present the effects of caries disease in children and emphasize the importance of family monitoring. Articles from 2011-2021 were selected, published in the PubMed and SciELO databases using the descriptors: Caries Disease, Prevention, Pediatric Dentistry, articles that were available in full in Portuguese and English were included. Dental caries continues to be a public health problem, with greater prevalence in children and characterized by being a disease of multifactorial etiology, non-transmissible biofilm-sugar dependent. Early childhood caries (CPI) is capable of negatively affecting the quality of life, as it presents itself as a rapid wear of the tooth structure and the presence of painful symptoms. This can result in early loss, malocclusion, impairing chewing, permanent dentition, sleep, school performance, favoring malnutrition and affecting development. The Bangkok Declaration recommends raising awareness of this disease through parent education, limiting sugar intake until age 2, and brushing teeth at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Given the above, it is essential to monitor the child's dental health from the eruption of the first tooth in the oral cavity, in order to reduce CPI and contribute to a better quality of life.

Keywords: Caries Disease, Prevention. Pediatric Dentistry.