Caries de primera infancia: indagando sus múltiples aspectos. Una revisión narrativa

Abstract

Introduction: Early childhood caries are a current and increasing problem in developed and developing countries. Objective: To conduct a narrative review of the scientific literature to identify evidence on early childhood caries, including its concepts, characteristics, risk factors, prevalence, epidemiological diagnostic methods, treatment and programs, and strategies for prevention. Materials and methods: A descriptive, secondary, prospective design was employed. Spanish and English data were consulted in PubMed/Medline, Redalyc, Latindex, SciELO.org, and Google Scholar, together with the official pages of international organizations and associations of dentistry and pediatric dentistry from 2015 to 2021. Results: Thirty-eight articles/documents were identified, comprising 63.1% research articles, 21.0% reviews, and 13.2% statements, guidelines, or recommendations from international organizations and associations. Among the studies, 50% were cross-sectional, 21% were documentary, 7.8% were RCTs, 2.6 were RCTs, and 2.6 were longitudinal. Conclusions: Addressing early childhood caries is complex and requires management of not only dental professionals but also other healthcare professionals, parentsor caregivers, and knowledgeable community workers to reduce the burden of this preventable disease.