Epidemiology and Clinical Management of Early Childhood Caries in Israel

• Main Authors: Aviv Shmueli, Moti Moskovitz, Elinor Halperson, Diana Ram, Avia Fux-Noy
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2019-10-01
• Series: Frontiers in Public Health
• Subjects: caries; prevalence; early childhood; prevention; Israel
• Online Access: https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00280/full

Aim: The aim of the present review is to describe the current status of early childhood caries (ECC) in Israel in aspects of epidemiology, prevention, and management.Methods: PubMed search was performed using the words caries, children, Israel. Demographic data was collected from the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics.Results: The decayed, missing, and filled teeth index was 2.72 in 1992 and 2.56 in 2016. The proportion of restored teeth has increased. A number of preventive programs are ongoing but a general preventive program is lacking at the national level. From 2010, every child in Israel is eligible to receive free dental treatment.Conclusion: The gaps in understanding of the epidemiological profile of ECC in Israel is a call for more research conduct on ECC in the country.