Early Childhood Oral Health

Dental caries has been called a “silent epidemic” and is the most prevalent chronic disease affecting children. Though much has been written on the science and practice of managing this disease, publications are diverse in their loci, preventing easy access to the reader. Early Childhood Oral Health coalesces all the important information related to this topic in a comprehensive reference for students, academics, and practitioners. This second edition expands the scope of the first and puts an additional focus on interprofessional and global efforts that are necessary to manage the growing disease crisis and screening and risk assessment efforts that have expanded with the boom of new technologies. With updated references and incorporating the latest research, chapters address the biology and epidemiology of caries, the clinical management of early childhood caries, risk assessment, and early diagnosis. Other topics include public health approaches to managing caries worldwide, implementation of new caries prevention programs, fluoride regimens, and community programs, and family oral health education. Brand new are four chapters on the medical management of early childhood caries, considerations for children with special needs, interprofessional education and practice, and how the newest policy issues and the Affordable Care Act affect dental care. A must-read for pediatric dentists, cariologists, public health dentists, and students in these fields, Early Childhood Oral Health is also relevant for pediatricians and pediatric nursing specialists worldwide.

In 2000, the US Surgeon General announced that dental caries is a "silent epidemic" and the most prevalent disease affecting children. Though much has been written on the science and practice of managing this disease, publications are diverse in their loci preventing easy access to the reader. Early Childhood Oral Health coalesces all important information related to this important topic in a comprehensive reference for students, academics, and practioners. In addition to the latest information about preventing childhood caries, other topics include public health approaches to managing caries worldwide, implementation of new prevention programs, fluoride regimens, and new technologies in caries risk assessment. A must-read for pediatric dentists, cariologists,public health dentists, and students in these fields, Early Childhood Oral Health is also relevant for pediatricians and pediatric nursing specialists worldwide.

Early childhood caries is of significant importance to the growth and development of preschool children. Multiple studies have highlighted how the lesion, if left untreated, results in retarded growth of the child. There are multiple studies on caries in general and less of such publications on early childhood caries in comparison. Yet, the impact of early childhood caries on the life and course of child development is significant. This piece of work pooled together publications on early childhood caries around the world. It highlighted the profile, pattern and risk factors for early childhood caries for 40 countries and pulled together information on 85 of the 193 United Nations countries where there are publications on the lesion. The authors were able to draw a global map of the disease profile and develop recommendations on important next steps for the global management of this lesion. Though the first and last chapters in the book summarise the global profile of early childhood caries, the book highlights country-specific peculiarities in the risk factors and early childhood caries prevention programmes. The authors did assume the story of early childhood caries is the same across the globe. This book was developed with the guiding principle that each country needs to understand the pattern of their early childhood caries epidemic so that they can develop appropriate programmes to address the countrys needs.

The second edition of Dental Caries: the Disease and its Clinical Management builds on the success of the prestigious first edition to present an unrivaled resource on cariology. The clinical thrust of the first edition is widened and strengthened to include coverage of the disease in all its variety, from eruption of the first primary tooth to the prevalent forms of the disease in older patients. The centrality of caries control and management to the dental health of all populations is further emphasized, as the book goes beyond the successful treatment of carious lesions to demonstrate the long-term consequences of the non-operative and therapeutic techniques employed.

More children born today will survive to adulthood than at any time in history. It is now time to emphasize health and development in middle childhood and adolescence--developmental phases that are critical to health in adulthood and the next generation. Child and Adolescent Health and Development explores the benefits that accrue from sustained and targeted interventions across the first two decades of life. The volume outlines the investment case for effective, costed, and scalable interventions for low-resource settings, emphasizing the cross-sectoral role of education. This evidence base can guide policy makers in prioritizing actions to promote survival, health, cognition, and physical growth throughout childhood and adolescence.