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Caries is one of the most common diseases in the world and it is mostly preventable. Caries can have a large impact on a child's physical, social and mental health. There are a number of clinical interventions available to prevent caries and this article provides a summary of the general guidelines and tips on their implementation in relation to caries prevention in children.
CPD/Clinical Relevance: This article highlights the importance of caries prevention and the relevant interventions, especially in the context of limited access to health services. These guidelines can be beneficial for all dental health professionals.
Article
Dental caries continues to be a prevalent disease among children. The most recent Child Dental Health Survey showed that nearly half (46%) of 15 year olds and one-third (34%) of 12 year olds had ‘obvious decay experience’ in their permanent teeth and nearly one-third (31%) of 5 year olds and nearly a half (46%) of 8 year olds had obvious decay experience in their primary teeth.1
Perhaps more worryingly, data from NHS Digital show that tooth decay is the leading reason for hospital admissions among 5–9 year olds (25,702 admissions in 2018–2019).2 For the most part, dental caries is a preventable condition, with many evidence-based approaches currently being recommended.
The following recommendations have been taken from the Department of Health publication ‘Delivering Better Oral Health: An Evidence Based Toolkit for Prevention’3 as well as the Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme (SDCEP) guidelines, ‘Prevention and Management of Dental Caries in Children’.4
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