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TREND OF EARLY CHILDHOOD CARIES IN A TERTIARY HEALTH INSTITUTION: A 7-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

O E Ayebameru1, A Abe1, O I Olaoye1

  • 1Department of Child Dental Health, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria.

Annals of Ibadan Postgraduate Medicine
|July 25, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Early childhood caries (ECC) affects 7.7% of young children, with most cases presenting with early lesions. Treatment primarily involved Glass Ionomer Cement (GIC) restorations, with the lowest presentation rates in 2020-2021.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Dentistry
  • Public Health
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Early childhood caries (ECC) is a prevalent chronic infectious disease in young children.
  • ECC is defined as decayed, missing, or filled tooth surfaces in primary teeth of children under six.
  • It represents a significant global public health concern.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence and trends of early childhood caries (ECC).
  • To analyze ECC presentation patterns at a tertiary health institution in Lagos State.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective study analyzed 5,879 dental patient records from 2017-2023.
  • Data included children aged 0-5 years presenting with ECC at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).
  • Statistical analysis utilized SPSS version 21.0 with chi-square tests for associations.

Main Results:

  • ECC prevalence was 7.7% (451 out of 5,879 patients).
  • The majority of affected children were girls (51.2%), with a mean age of 3.94 years.
  • Most patients presented with incipient lesions (50.3%), and a significant association was found between age and affected teeth (p<0.05).

Conclusions:

  • The study identified a 7.7% prevalence of ECC in the studied population.
  • ECC presentation was lowest in 2020 and 2021.
  • Incipient lesions were most common, leading to Glass Ionomer Cement (GIC) restorations as the primary treatment.
Abstract

Keywords:
CariesEarly childhood cariesPrevalenceTrend

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