EARLY CHILDHOOD CARIES: Etiology, Impact on Quality of Life, and Prevention Protocols
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36557/2674-8169.2026v8n5p2215-2231Keywords:
Dental caries. Pediatric dentistry. Early childhood. Quality of life. Fluoride. Prevention.Abstract
Introduction: Early childhood caries (ECC) is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in children under six years of age, with a multifactorial etiology and rapid progression in primary teeth. Objective: To comprehensively review the scientific literature on the etiology, quality of life impact, and prevention protocols for ECC, based on studies indexed in PubMed, SciELO, and LILACS databases. Methods: An integrative narrative review was conducted using the descriptors: "early childhood caries", "oral health-related quality of life", "fluoride" and "caries prevention", covering publications from 2015 to 2024. Results: Twelve representative studies were selected, including systematic reviews, meta-analyses and primary studies. ECC affects approximately 48% of preschool children globally. Its etiology involves interaction between Streptococcus mutans, cariogenic diet, host characteristics and social determinants. Quality of life impacts include pain, feeding difficulties, sleep disorders, and behavioral changes. Evidence-based prevention protocols include fluoride varnish, silver diamine fluoride (SDF), sealants, dietary counseling, and parental education. Conclusion: ECC represents a public health problem requiring an interdisciplinary approach, with preventive actions beginning in the prenatal period.
Downloads
References
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY – AAPD. Policy on early childhood caries (ECC): classifications, consequences, and preventive strategies. Pediatric Dentistry, v. 39, n. 6, p. 59-61, 2017.
BAKHURJI, E. Parental education, caries experience, plaque accumulation, and mutans streptococci count may predict the increment of early childhood caries in preschool children over 24 months: systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Evidence-Based Dental Practice, v. 24, n. 1, p. 101961, 2024. DOI: 10.1016/j.jebdp.2023.101961.
BERNARDES, A. L. B.; DIETRICH, L.; DE FRANÇA, M. M. C. A cárie precoce na infância ou cárie de primeira infância: uma revisão narrativa. Research, Society and Development, v. 10, n. 14, p. e268101422093, 2021. DOI: 10.33448/rsd-v10i14.22093.
CARVALHO, D. M. et al. Cárie precoce da infância: fatores de risco associados em crianças do Nordeste do Brasil. Cadernos de Saúde Pública, v. 38, n. 4, 2022.
CORRÊA-FARIA, P. et al. Impact of early childhood caries on oral health-related quality of life: a systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry, v. 31, n. 4, p. 552-566, 2021. DOI: 10.1111/ipd.12748.
DE LUCENA, M. M. A.; PEREIRA, C. A. Cárie da primeira infância: males e consequências para a vida futura. Revista FT – Ciências da Saúde, 2024. Disponível em: https://revistaft.com.br/carie-da-primeira-infancia-males-e-consequencias-para-a-vida-futura/. Acesso em: nov. 2024.
KASSEBAUM, N. J. et al. Global, regional, and national prevalence, incidence, and disability-adjusted life years for oral conditions for 195 countries, 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors. Journal of Dental Research, v. 96, n. 4, p. 380-387, 2017. DOI: 10.1177/0022034517693566.
MINISTÉRIO DA SAÚDE DO BRASIL. Diretriz para a prática clínica odontológica na atenção primária à saúde: prevenção da cárie na primeira infância (GODeC). Brasília: Ministério da Saúde, 2024. Disponível em: https://www.gov.br/saude. Acesso em: nov. 2024.
NORA, Â. D. et al. Is caries associated with negative impact on oral health-related quality of life of pre-school children? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Pediatric Dentistry, v. 40, n. 7, p. 403-411, 2018. PMID: 31840639.
RIGGS, E. et al. Interventions with pregnant women, new mothers and other primary caregivers for preventing early childhood caries. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, n. 11, CD012155, 2019. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD012155.pub2.
SEIFO, N. et al. The use of silver diamine fluoride (SDF) in dental practice. British Dental Journal, v. 228, n. 2, p. 75-81, 2020. DOI: 10.1038/s41415-020-1203-9. PMID: 31980777.
SHOKRAVI, M. et al. The impact of child dental caries and the associated factors on child and family quality of life. International Journal of Dentistry, v. 2023, p. 4335796, 2023. DOI: 10.1155/2023/4335796. PMID: 37547815.
URIBE, S. E.; INNES, N.; MALDUPA, I. The global prevalence of early childhood caries: a systematic review with meta-analysis using the WHO diagnostic criteria. International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry, v. 31, n. 6, p. 817-830, 2021. DOI: 10.1111/ipd.12783. PMID: 33735529.
YANG, L. et al. Oral health-related quality of life and associated factors among a sample from East China with severe early childhood caries: a cross-sectional study. BMC Oral Health, v. 23, n. 1, p. 837, 2023. DOI: 10.1186/s12903-023-03560-4.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Samaya da Silva Morais, Isabel Cristina Quaresma Rêgo , Tainá de Castelo Branco Araújo, Tereza Maria Alcântara Neves , Thiago Lima Monte, Márcia Regina Soares Cruz
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors are copyright holders under a CCBY 4.0 license.
