About this Research Topic
Early childhood caries (ECC) is a non-communicable disease with significant impact on the growth and development of preschool children. It was estimated that by 2017, the mean prevalence of ECC for children younger than 36 months was 23.8% and 57.3% for children 36-71 months old. Some countries have prevalence as high as 98%. Despite its impact on growth, health and physical, social, and mental development, there is little global attention paid to the disease. Publications on ECC have focused on micro- and meso-level studies about ECC, the individual, and the family. There are very few studies that examine how national, regional, and international government policies and programs impact ECC prevalence and effective management.
This Research Topic shall welcome research articles that generate and highlight country level information on ECC. This includes manuscripts that report updated information on epidemiological profiles of ECC for specific countries, communities, or populations; results of assessment of the impact on national policies and programs on the ECC control; effectiveness of clinical programs for ECC control; systematic review and meta-analysis of data on ECC; best practices and lessons learnt for ECC management and scale-up. Specifically, epidemiological studies from countries around the world that currently have little or no data on ECC will be most welcome.
Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following.
● Systematic review and meta-analysis of ECC risk factors, prevention, and management.
● Epidemiological profiles of ECC for countries with little or no public data.
● ECC and its impact on growth, development, social, mental health, and well-being.
● Possible interventions unitizing common risk factors for ECC and general health.
● Evidence of effectiveness of clinical and community based multi-disciplinary approaches to ECC control
● Conceptual frameworks on pathways linking ECC with adolescent health and well-being.
This Research Topic shall welcome research articles that generate and highlight country level information on ECC. This includes manuscripts that report updated information on epidemiological profiles of ECC for specific countries, communities, or populations; results of assessment of the impact on national policies and programs on the ECC control; effectiveness of clinical programs for ECC control; systematic review and meta-analysis of data on ECC; best practices and lessons learnt for ECC management and scale-up. Specifically, epidemiological studies from countries around the world that currently have little or no data on ECC will be most welcome.
Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following.
● Systematic review and meta-analysis of ECC risk factors, prevention, and management.
● Epidemiological profiles of ECC for countries with little or no public data.
● ECC and its impact on growth, development, social, mental health, and well-being.
● Possible interventions unitizing common risk factors for ECC and general health.
● Evidence of effectiveness of clinical and community based multi-disciplinary approaches to ECC control
● Conceptual frameworks on pathways linking ECC with adolescent health and well-being.
Keywords: early childhood caries, prevalence, prevention, treatment, epidemiology
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
