In the United States, dental caries is the most common long-term disease in kids under the age of 5.

In the 2011-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, about 23% of children aged 2 to 5 had dental caries in their first teeth. It is more common in Mexican American children (33%) and non-Hispanic Black children (28%) than it is in non-Hispanic White children (18 percent ).

People who have dental caries in their early years are more likely to have more dental caries in the future. This is because they have pain, lose teeth, don’t grow as quickly, don’t gain weight, and have a lower quality of life.

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) wanted to make sure its recommendation from 2014 was still correct. To do this, they did a systematic review of screening and interventions to prevent dental caries in kids younger than 5.

According to the USPSTF, supplementing children’s diets with oral fluoride at approved dosages can help prevent dental cavities in the future if their water supply is weak in fluoride.

The USPSTF concludes with reasonable certainty that fluoride varnish application in all children younger than 5 years has a moderate net benefit in avoiding future dental caries.

Children younger than 5 years old should not be routinely screened for dental caries by primary care practitioners due to insufficient evidence, according to the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).

Summary of USPSTF Recommendations

This is what USPSTF recommend to Prevent Dental Caries in Children Younger Than 5 Years

Source: 10.1001/jama.2021.20007

Image Credit: Getty

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