Incidence of early childhood caries: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The aim was to systemically review the incidence of early childhood caries (ECC). The addressed focused question was "What is the reported incidence of ECC?" Indexed databases were searched using various key words. Five studies were included and processed for data extraction. All studies were prospective and two studies were randomized clinical trials. The number of participants ranged between 96 and 1275 children. Two studies reported the mean age of children, that ranged between 1.8 and 2.5 years (range 0.5 to 5 years). In three studies, the follow-up duration was 2 years, and in two studies the participants were followed-up till 3 and 5 years, respectively. Results from all studies reported that the incidence of ECC was significantly higher among children with caries at baseline compared with caries-free children. In conclusion, the incidence of ECC is significantly higher in children with a previous history of dental caries.