Relationship between Severe Early Childhood Caries and dental development

Authors

  • E Hazar Bodrumlu Assistant Professor, PhD, Bülent Ecevit University, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Zonguldak
  • L Demiriz Assistant Professor, PhD, Bülent Ecevit University, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Zonguldak
  • S Toprak Associate Professor, PhD, Bülent Ecevit University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Forensic Medicine, Zonguldak

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23804/ejpd.2018.19.02.11

Keywords:

Dental age, Dental development, Severe early childhood caries

Abstract

AIM: Severe early childhood caries (sECC) is a public health problem that continues to affect infants and preschool children worldwide. Knowledge of the changes in dental development is important for paediatric dentists in order to determine a treatment plan. The aim of this study was to investigate dental development in children with sECC, compared to age and gender-matched controls, by calculating the dental age (DA). METHODS: A total of 300 children (144 females, 156 males) with sECC aged 5 years were studied and compared with 300 control subjects (caries-free), case-matched for gender and age. The dental development was assessed using the DA estimation method of Demirjian et al. [1973], and data were statistically analysed using a 2-sided t test and chi-squared test. CONCLUSION: Children with severe early childhood caries have lower rates of dental development when compared to normal children.