Early childhood caries: a positive beginning.
Early childhood caries (ECC) is among the most prevalent health problems of low-income infants and toddlers, yet little attention and few resources have been allocated to understanding this disease. Since dental caries in infants and toddlers cannot be exclusively ascribed to feeding practices, other concepts regarding its etiology and prevention need to be examined. Furthermore, the establishment of evidence-based policies regarding this basic health problem is critical for the dissemination of consistent standards of care to health care providers and government agencies. To accomplish these objectives, the scientific community, organizations concerned with children's health and the political process need to be energized to find resources and energy to solve this public health challenge.
Tinanoff
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Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington 06030-1610, USA. tinanoff@idx.uchc.edu
Kaste
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LM
Corbin
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SB
D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D019140:Dental Care for Children; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005248:Feeding Methods; D006077:Government Agencies; D015276:Health Care Rationing; D006291:Health Policy; D006295:Health Resources; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007229:Infant Welfare; D011203:Poverty; D015995:Prevalence