EARLY CHILDHOOD CARIES
What is ECC?
- It is a #disease that affects the teeth in children aged between birth and 71months.
- It is characterised by one or more decayed, missing (due to caries) or filled tooth surfaces in the primary tooth.
What is ECC commonly known as?
- Baby bottle caries
- Night bottle caries
What causes ECC?
- Juice, formula, bottle, sticky food and prolonged breastfeeding.
- Cariogenic Bacteria + Sugars = Dental Decay/Caries
- Prolonged bottle feeding especially at night.
What are the features of ECC?
- Stage 1 (Initial Reversible) - No Pain - Areas of chalky white demineralization
- Stage 2 (Damaged Caries) - Caries in upper front teeth - Sensitivity on cold food
- Stage 3 (Deep Caries) - Molars affected - Pain
- Stage 4 (Traumatic) - Upper front teeth becomes non-vital
How to Prevent ECC?
- Consumption of a healthy diet - Avoid using bottles/sippy cups. -low sugar diet~removal of food debris after food intake
- Use of fluoridated #toothpaste.
- Flourides- They are safe and effective in controlling tooth decay Action of fluorides
- It has cavities protective mechanism of action and inhibits tooth decay by affecting the activity of bacteria that cause decay.
What is the treatment of ECC?
Restoration depending on the depth of the cavity. Deep Cavities or broken tooth need crowns to restore and periodic supervision and prevention are mostly by fluoride.