title: Pediatric caries worldwide: implications for oral hygiene products.
abstract: International data on pediatric caries epidemiology confirms that tooth decay remains a significant and consequential disease of childhood that is increasingly localized in a subset of at-risk children in both developing and developed countries. A conceptual schema is presented to characterize the occurrence of caries in child populations, and observations are made regarding the countervailing impact of simple sugars and fluoride in these populations. Temporal changes in caries distribution suggest that targeted dental caries management protocols are increasingly indicated to more effectively manage the particular risk and caries activity of individual children. Criteria for successful protocols are discussed in light of both caries pathogenesis and international recommendations to improve children's oral health.
authors.affiliation: School of Dental and Oral Surgery, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Burton L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Edelstein
mesh_terms: D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D003733:Dental Caries Susceptibility; D003742:Dental Devices, Home Care; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005459:Fluorides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014943:Global Health; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States; D014944:World Health Organization
chemical_list: D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D005459:Fluorides