TY - JOUR
T1 - Sustainable development goals and ending ECC as a public health crisis
AU - Saikia, Ankita
AU - Aarthi, Jagadeesan
AU - Muthu, M. S.
AU - Patil, Sneha S.
AU - Anthonappa, Robert Prashanth
AU - Walia, Tarun
AU - Shahwan, Moayad
AU - Mossey, Peter
AU - Dominguez, Monica
PY - 2022/10/18
Y1 - 2022/10/18
N2 - Early Childhood Caries (ECC) remains a global issue despite numerous advancements in research and interventional approaches. Nearly, 530 million children suffer from untreated dental caries of primary teeth. The consequences of such untreated dental caries not only limit the child's chewing and eating abilities but also, significantly impact the child's overall growth. Research has demonstrated that ECC is associated with nearly 123 risk factors. ECC has also been associated with local pain, infections, abscesses, and sleep pattern. Furthermore, it can affect the child's emotional status and decrease their ability to learn or perform their usual activities. In high-income countries, dental care continues to endorse a "current treatment-based approach" that involves high-technology, interventionist, and specialized approaches. While such approaches provide immediate benefit at an individual level, it fails to intercept the underlying causes of the disease at large. In low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), the "current treatment approach" often remains limited, unaffordable, and unsuitable for the majority of the population. Rather, dentistry needs to focus on "sustainable goals" and integrate dental care with the mainstream healthcare system and primary care services. Dental care systems should promote "early first dental visits," when the child is 1 year of age or when the first tooth arrives. The serious shortages of appropriately trained oral healthcare personnel in certain regions of the world, lack of appropriate technologies and isolation of oral health services from the health system, and limited adoption of prevention and oral health promotion can pose as critical barriers. The oral health care systems must focus on three major keystones to combat the burden of ECC-1. Essential oral health services are integrated into healthcare in every country ensuring the availability of appropriate healthcare accessible and available globally, 2. Integrating oral and general healthcare to effectively prevent and manage oral disease and improve oral health, 3. Collaborating with a wide range of health workers to deliver sustainable oral health care tailored to cater to the oral health care needs of local communities.
AB - Early Childhood Caries (ECC) remains a global issue despite numerous advancements in research and interventional approaches. Nearly, 530 million children suffer from untreated dental caries of primary teeth. The consequences of such untreated dental caries not only limit the child's chewing and eating abilities but also, significantly impact the child's overall growth. Research has demonstrated that ECC is associated with nearly 123 risk factors. ECC has also been associated with local pain, infections, abscesses, and sleep pattern. Furthermore, it can affect the child's emotional status and decrease their ability to learn or perform their usual activities. In high-income countries, dental care continues to endorse a "current treatment-based approach" that involves high-technology, interventionist, and specialized approaches. While such approaches provide immediate benefit at an individual level, it fails to intercept the underlying causes of the disease at large. In low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), the "current treatment approach" often remains limited, unaffordable, and unsuitable for the majority of the population. Rather, dentistry needs to focus on "sustainable goals" and integrate dental care with the mainstream healthcare system and primary care services. Dental care systems should promote "early first dental visits," when the child is 1 year of age or when the first tooth arrives. The serious shortages of appropriately trained oral healthcare personnel in certain regions of the world, lack of appropriate technologies and isolation of oral health services from the health system, and limited adoption of prevention and oral health promotion can pose as critical barriers. The oral health care systems must focus on three major keystones to combat the burden of ECC-1. Essential oral health services are integrated into healthcare in every country ensuring the availability of appropriate healthcare accessible and available globally, 2. Integrating oral and general healthcare to effectively prevent and manage oral disease and improve oral health, 3. Collaborating with a wide range of health workers to deliver sustainable oral health care tailored to cater to the oral health care needs of local communities.
KW - SDG
KW - early childhood caries
KW - oral health
KW - sustained anticipatory guidance
KW - child health
KW - healthcare workers
KW - infant oral care
KW - first dental visit
KW - EARLY-CHILDHOOD CARIES
KW - GLOBAL ORAL-HEALTH
KW - DENTAL-CARIES
KW - COVERAGE
KW - CONSEQUENCES
KW - PREVENTION
KW - PROGRAMS
KW - LITERACY
KW - CHILDREN
UR - https://www.webofscience.com/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:000878690000001
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85141297413&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fpubh.2022.931243
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2022.931243
M3 - Review article
C2 - 36330110
SN - 2296-2565
VL - 10
JO - Frontiers in Public Health
JF - Frontiers in Public Health
M1 - 931243
ER -