ECC Disease in Children

The mineral loss that occurs in the tooth with the participation of saliva by the plaque is called caries. Early childhood caries (ECC) disease is defined as the condition in which 1 or more caries, lost teeth due to caries, or filled teeth are present in the primary teeth of children 71 months of age or younger.
ECC is a very dangerous form of caries, it starts after the eruption of the teeth, develops on flat surfaces, progresses rapidly and leaves a lasting effect on the teeth. Caries affecting milk teeth in children cause permanent teeth to decay as well. ECC does not only affect the teeth, it affects the whole health in terms of its results. Children with ECC show slower development than those without. Some of the children with ECC are below the required weight because the child’s desire to eat decreases due to pain.
It should be stated to the families that they should clean their babies’ teeth after breastfeeding or after the bottle, by wiping them with a piece of clean cheesecloth, and repeat this process after giving them drugs in the form of syrup containing sugar. If they put their children to sleep with a bottle during the day or night, it should be said that they should not put liquid foods containing sugar in the bottle and that the best approach is not to give the baby a bottle at bedtime. In addition, the child should not be allowed to fall asleep while breastfeeding or with a bottle, and the bottle should not be used as a pacifier. Sucking is a natural instinct for all babies. After the baby is full
It should be noted that a pacifier or a bottle containing only water can be given if he still needs to suckle afterward. For bottle fed babies, not to give milk or sweet drinks to the baby at bedtime, not to feed the baby for more than 30 minutes during sleep,
They should be advised not to use the bottle as a pacifier, and to use cups for other liquids after 1 year of age. For breastfed babies, the feeding time should not be more than 30 minutes, the baby should not sleep while breastfeeding and the baby should be avoided from feeding at frequent intervals.

Although ECC is an important health problem, it is not given much attention due to the temporary nature of primary teeth in the mouth and the lack of awareness of their importance. Untreated ECC causes speech disorders, learning and eating problems as a result of pain and infection. Early deciduous tooth loss due to EÇC negatively affects growth and development,
It causes orthodontic problems, aesthetic and psychological problems.

If very young children have not acquired protective habits adequately and ECC has developed in these children, the therapeutic approach should be applied by a specialist dentist,
because the treatment of ECC may be specific for each patient due to the aggressive nature of the disease.