DENTAL CARIES IN YOUNG CHILDREN

Abstract

Dental caries is still the most common chronic disease among the child
population [4]. World statistics It shows that a significant share in the structure of this
pathology is occupied by caries of milk teeth in children under the age of six years [10]. In
general, the prevalence of early childhood caries varies greatly, from 17 to 94%.
In developed countries (Western Europe, USA), according to various estimates, the
prevalence rate ranges from 1% to 12%, in developing countries it can reach 99% [14, 27].
In the USA, over the past decade, this indicator in children aged 2-5 years has increased by
15.2%, while 8.4% of 2-year-olds and almost 44% of 5-year-olds have at least one carious
or sealed tooth [18].
Among Brazilian children, 26.8% of 1.5-year-olds and 46.8% of 3-year-olds were affected
by caries [18]. In Iran, in these age groups, the prevalence rate is 19.5% and 44% [11],
respectively. In Germany, 6-year-olds have almost 2 times more teeth affected by cariesthan
12-year-olds [15]. In a Japanese national survey conducted in 2007, caries affected 2.8% of
18-month-olds and 25.9% of three-year-olds [13, 28]. It should be noted that with an increase
in the age of the child, the incidence of caries of milk teeth is steadily increasing.
The prevalence of caries increases by 7 times in comparison with six- and one-year-old
children. At the same time, the greatest jump in the growth of this indicator is observed at
the age of 1 to 3 years (5 times). A similar pattern is observed when assessing the intensity
of caries of temporary teeth: the indicator increases 17 times in comparison with six- and
one-year-old children