The Mean Age of Early Childhood Caries (ECC) Receiving Dental Treatment under General Anesthesia or IV Sedation

Background: Early childhood caries (ECC) is still a serious and bothered problem for parents and pediatric dentist. Under 3-year-old is called severe early childhood caries (S-ECC). The purpose of this study was to investigate the mean age of patients who received dental treatment under general anesthesia or IV sedation for solving early childhood caries and the severity of early childhood caries.

Methods: All the subjects were 2 to 6 years-old and visited Pediatric Department from 2017.01.01. to 2018.03.31 for asking for the treatment of severe dental tooth decay. They were arranged and received full mouth dental treatment under general anesthesia or IV sedation due to early childhood caries and young age. The age and dental treatment plan were recorded.

Results: The mean age for receiving full mouth dental treatment under general anesthesia or IV sedation was 3.7-year-old. The percentage of patients that under 3 year-old received treatment was 44.7%. It’s 25% of patients that only for upper incisors pulp treatment and crown restoration. There are 12.9% of patients for extraction upper anterior incisors due to the severity.

Conclusion: Severe tooth decay happened before three and a half years. Nearly half of the patients were under or 3 - year-old among the subjects received general anesthesia or IV sedation. One quarter of the patients asked for four incisors of upper side pulp treatment and crown restoration, however some patients had to extract the upper incisors due to the severity. Early childhood caries is still serious and worthy of attention, how to improve the oral hygiene of children and reduce the prevalence of ECC is very critical.