Early Childhood Caries (ECC)

Tooth decay is one of the most common health problems in young children in Saudi Arabia. Brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste is one of the most effective ways to prevent it, but preschool children cannot do this properly on their own and depend on their mothers to brush for them and to supervise them. Mothers usually receive oral health advice only once, during a dental visit, and a single session may not be enough to change daily habits at home. This study will test whether short oral health messages sent to mothers on WhatsApp, in addition to the usual face-to-face advice, help mothers know more about toothbrushing and help their children brush better. Mothers of children aged 3 to 6 years attending the Pediatric Dentistry Clinics at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah will be invited to take part. All mothers will first answer a short questionnaire about what they know about toothbrushing and how their child currently brushes. All mothers will then receive the same 10 to 15 minute face-to-face oral health education session. After the session, each mother will be placed into one of two groups by chance, like flipping a coin. Mothers in the first group will also receive two WhatsApp messages a week for eight weeks, sixteen messages in total, covering how often to brush, how much fluoride toothpaste to use, correct brushing technique, and how to help and supervise their child. Mothers in the second group will not receive these messages. After eight weeks, all mothers will answer the same questionnaire again, and the answers of the two groups will be compared. Taking part involves no dental treatment or procedures beyond the child's normal care, and mothers may withdraw at any time.

The goal of this observational study is to learn if the composition of salivary proteins in 3-year-old children, from communities with documented varying caries risks, can be used to identify future diagnostic predictors for caries risk. The main question to answer is: • Can the host´s salivary protein profile (expression and abundance) show a correlation with the caries prevalence between the individuals in the different study cohorts? Two cohorts of children with different documented demographic characteristics in the region of Stockholm (Sweden) will be examined. Participants will be asked to provide saliva samples and undergo clinical oral examinations conducted by trained dental practitioners.

Severely mutilated anterior primary teeth in preschool children are frequently managed by extraction. However, premature loss of anterior primary teeth has been associated with adverse functional, developmental and psychosocial outcomes, including impaired oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), speech concerns and negative self-image. Prefabricated zirconia crowns offer an aesthetic and durable restorative alternative for compromised anterior primary teeth. Despite increasing clinical use, comparative evidence evaluating zirconia crown restoration versus extraction under equivalent conditions using validated patient-centred, developmental and economic outcomes remains limited. This pragmatic, prospective, non-randomised controlled clinical study aims to compare zirconia crown restoration and extraction of severely mutilated anterior primary teeth performed under GA in preschool children. Outcomes include OHRQoL, parental satisfaction, child self-image, and speech development.

This study aims to explore how midwives in Germany perceive their professional role in the context of oral health of pregnant women and young children. A nationwide, anonymous, non-interventional online survey will be conducted to assess self-perceived role, confidence in counseling, perceived barriers, information sources, and training needs. The study is designed as an exploratory cross-sectional survey without hypothesis testing.

Early childhood caries is a major public health problem affecting preschool children worldwide. Silver Diamine Fluoride is a well-established non-invasive treatment for arresting caries; however, it causes black discoloration of treated lesions. Nano-Silver Fluoride has been introduced as an alternative that may arrest caries without discoloration. This randomized clinical trial aims to compare the efficacy of Silver Diamine Fluoride and Nano-Silver Fluoride in arresting active dentin caries in primary teeth and to assess discoloration, post-operative pain, and parental satisfaction over a 12-month follow-up period.

This observational, cross-sectional study aims to evaluate the current caries risk profiles of children who underwent dental treatment under general anesthesia (GA) for early childhood caries (ECC) between 2015 and 2020 at Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Faculty of Dentistry. A minimum of 44 systemically healthy children will be included. Caries risk will be assessed using the Cariogram model, incorporating clinical parameters (DMFT/dmft, Plaque Index, Gingival Index, probing depth), salivary factors (stimulated flow rate, buffer capacity), and standardized questionnaires covering diet, fluoride exposure, socioeconomic status, and dental visit history. Data will be collected in a single visit, analyzed using SPSS. The study aims to provide scientific evidence for long-term preventive strategies and oral health policies targeting high-risk pediatric populations treated under GA for ECC.