The role of early dietary habits in dental caries development.

Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is a serious dental condition that occurs during the first three years of life and is associated with the early intake of sugary foods, drinks, or snacks. There is now evidence that early malnutrition episodes could lead to delay in the eruption of primary teeth and possibly to increased caries prevalence. Significant correlations are present between the intakes of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats during infancy and several years later in life. Infants' dietary intake is also significantly correlated with the dietary intake of their mothers. Supplementing milk with vitamins during the first several years of life leads to reduction in the prevalence of linear enamel hypoplasia, a condition that may be associated with future development of dental caries. There are equivocal findings concerning the value of using dietary habits to predict caries incidence during the first three years of life. There is a need for development of educational, nutritional, and prevention programs targeting mothers and infants and for research on effective methods to prevent Early Childhood Caries.