Universidade Positivo, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
J Pediatr (Rio J). 2009 Jul-Aug;85(4):295-300. doi: 10.2223/JPED.1908.
To provide information with the purpose of helping pediatricians to recognize the risk factors for the onset of severe early childhood caries, allowing for early intervention and thus avoiding this preventable disease and its consequences.
Information was collected from scientific articles published on the databases SciELO, MEDLINE and PUBMED in last 25 years, as well as technical books and guidelines of international committees. The keywords used were: early childhood caries, severe early childhood caries, dental caries, and children.
Severe early childhood caries affects infants and children. It is infectious, has a multifactor etiology and fast development, starting soon after dental eruption. Due to the presence of local sociocultural risk factors, it must be regarded as a symptom of alteration in the child's health and lack of adequate care. Its manifestations include pain, abscesses and chewing difficulty, affecting the child's feeding and sleep. Furthermore, it also affects the child's general health, speech, and self-esteem.
Preventive methods to avoid severe early childhood caries have been developed and they should be used as early as possible by means of prevention programs carried out in the community and with families. Professionals responsible for providing care to babies and children should be aware of cases at risk for caries and interfere in order to improve their patients' health.
为儿科医生提供信息，帮助他们识别早发性儿童龋严重程度的危险因素，以便及早干预，从而避免这种可预防的疾病及其后果。
在过去 25 年中，从 SciELO、MEDLINE 和 PUBMED 数据库中收集了发表的科学文章、技术书籍和国际委员会指南等信息，检索词为：早期儿童龋、严重早发性儿童龋、龋齿、儿童。
严重早发性儿童龋影响婴儿和儿童。它具有传染性，病因复杂，发展迅速，在牙齿萌出后不久就开始发生。由于存在局部社会文化危险因素，必须将其视为儿童健康状况改变和缺乏适当护理的症状。其表现包括疼痛、脓肿和咀嚼困难，影响儿童的喂养和睡眠。此外，它还会影响儿童的整体健康、言语和自尊。
已经开发出预防严重早发性儿童龋的方法，应通过在社区和家庭中开展预防计划尽早使用。负责为婴儿和儿童提供护理的专业人员应注意有患龋风险的病例，并进行干预，以改善患者的健康。
