The global prevalence of early childhood caries: A systematic review with meta‐analysis using the WHO diagnostic criteria

Abstract

Aim: To estimate the global prevalence of early childhood caries using the WHO criteria. Design: Systematic review of studies published from 1960 to 2019. Data sources: PubMed, Google Scholar, SciELO, and LILACS. Eligibility criteria were articles using: dmft-WHO diagnostic criteria with calibrated examiners, probability sampling, and sample sizes. Study selection: Two reviewers searched, screened, and extracted information from the selected articles. All pooled analyses were based on random-effects models. The protocol is available on PROSPERO 2014 registration code CRD42014009578. Results: From 472 reports, 214 used WHO criteria and 125 fit the inclusion criteria. Sixty-four reports of 67 countries (published 1992-2019) had adequate data to be summarised in the meta-analysis. They covered 29 countries/59018 children. Global random-effects pooled prevalence was (percentage[95% CI]) 48[43, 53]. The prevalence by continent was Africa: 30[19, 45]; Americas: 48 [42, 54]; Asia: 52[43, 61]; Europe: 43[24, 66]; and Oceania: 82[73, 89]. Differences across countries explain 21.2% of the observed variance. Conclusions: Early childhood caries is a global health problem, affecting almost half of preschool children. Results are reported from 29 of 195 countries. ECC prevalence varied widely, and there was more variance attributable to between-country differences rather than continent or change over time. K E Y W O R D Searly childhood caries, epidemiology, oral health, preschool children, systematic review How to cite this article: Uribe SE, Innes N, Maldupa I. The global prevalence of early childhood caries: A systematic review with meta-analysis using the WHO diagnostic criteria.

Early Childhood Caries in 4- to 5-Year-Old Children in Erzurum, Turkey

“…According to the WHO, ECC prevalence by continents is: Africa 30%, Americas 48%, Asia 52%, Europe 43%, and Oceania 82%. Considering the 48% global ECC prevalence, the prevalence of 73% found in our study is quite high (30). However, our study is limited within the Erzurum province.…”

Editorial: Promoting Oral Health in Early Childhood: The Role of the Family, Community and Health System in Developing Strategies for Prevention and Management of ECC

“…Policy statements from the American Academy of Paediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommend: ( 1 ) referral by the child's primary care physician based on risk assessment, no later than 12 months of age, and ( 2 ) this assessment could be a routine component of new and periodic examinations by medical practitioners ( 6 , 7 ). The World Health Organisation (WHO) also recommends that primary care teams and community health workers should understand the key risk factors for ECC, and how to identify them ( 3 ).…”

“…Early childhood caries (ECC), has been defined as the presence of one or more decayed, missing due to caries, or filled tooth surfaces in any primary teeth in children under 6 years of age and is recognised as a global public health problem ( 1 ), affecting almost half of preschool children around the world ( 2 ). If untreated, ECC can lead to negative health impacts including acute infection, need for emergency care, and economic impacts for the family and society ( 3 ).…”

Factores de riesgo de caries en niños pre escolares de la Amazonía peruana

“…La caries de infancia temprana (CIT) aparece como lesiones de caries que compromete la dentición decidua en niños menores de setenta y un meses de edad [1][2][3][4] . Estudios recientes indican que la CIT es una enfermedad crónica de alta prevalencia e incidencia, considerada un problema de salud pública en el mundo [5][6][7] .…”

“…Aunque ha habido una disminución significativa en la prevalencia de caries dental desde principios de la década de 1970, las enfermedades bucales, incluidas las caries, siguen siendo un importante desafío para la salud pública 12,13 . Estudios recientes informaron que la prevalencia de CIT a nivel mundial oscila entre el 23% y el 90%, y en el caso de América Latina supera el 50% de la población infantil 6,14 .…”