Alonso NMJ, Karakowsky L

Language: Spanish
References: 19
Page: 90-97
PDF size: 129.87 Kb.

ABSTRACT

Teeth caries is an infectious and transmissible disease as the result of lack of balance among multiple risk and protector factors along time. Early childhood caries (ECC) is the most recent nomenclature for a particular standard of teeth caries in little children, which mainly affects primary anterior teeth. Sometime ago, this disorder was known as feeding-bottle caries. However, it has been demonstrated that this problem is not only produced by any natural or artificially sugared liquid, such as milk, formulations, fruit juices or sodas, but also mother’s breast at free demand and the use of training cups and sugar bottle teats nipples. All of these mentioned factors are associated with ECC, but they are not consistently implied in it, what indicates us that this pattern is not restricted to the use of the feeding bottle and, therefore the term ECC is a better indicator of its multifactor origin. The principal microorganism associated with teeth caries is Streptococcus mutans, which is vertically transmitted from the mother/caretaker mainly through the saliva. Streptococcus mutans colonizes children’s oral cavity sometime after the first tooth emergence. Such colonization occurs approximately at the age of two years old, during the period called “infectivity window”. Several measures are recommended in order to prevent ECC; among them: the reduction of the levels of Streptococcus mutans in the mother/caretaker, principal/brothers in order to reduce the transmission of cariogenic bacteria, implement oral hygiene measures from the first tooth emergence, avoid feeding habits which may promote caries, such as the frequent consumption of food and beverages containing a high percentage of fermentable carbohydrates through of feeding bottle or the training cup. Since doctor are the first persons in being in touch with first-time mothers and children during their first years of life, what is not the case of dentists, it is important that they understand their role as promoters of oral health education to the parents or caretakers of the little child, and be conscious of the infectious and transmissible nature of the bacterium that produces caries (tooth decay) in early childhood, the risk factors associated to it, the risk evaluation methods regarding oral health, the anticipating guide and the proper decisions with respect to effective and timely interventions, as well as the proper remission.

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