Early Childhood Caries

Early childhood caries is dental caries on the first teeth of the child.

Overview of ECC

Early childhood caries affects more often poor and minority populations. The common paradigm claims that the way to prevent it is through behavioral and educational programs that advocate individualistic changes so that parents and caretakers can detect and avoid the reoccurrence of caries in their children.

A Review of ECC Literature

Unfortunately many of these methods do not work.

"For the last fifty years, dentists and researchers have struggled to clearly define ECC — it has been referred to as “baby bottle tooth decay,” “nursing bottle syndrome,” and “rampant caries lesions” (Huntington, Kim, & Hughes, 2002)." - Source: JYI

Researchers have had problems defining ECC because they are looking past the real problem, a nutrient deficiency The correct definition is pedia-ondoclasia. Child, tooth loss.

"Overall, defining ECC is problematic because the true nature of the syndrome is not clear." - Source: JYI

The true nature of the syndrome is clear, as Weston Price documented its causes, and published it in several dental journals, that improper nutrition is the cause of early childhood caries.

"Untreated caries may lead to early loss of the primary dentition and affect the growth and maturation of the secondary, adult dentition." - Source: JYI

It appear like cavities in the first teeth affect the second, but they do not. However, if the cause of the cavities is not addressed in the first set of teeth, the second set of teeth will also develop cavities for the same reasons the first ones did.

Conventional Treatment

Typical dental treatment involves fillings, steel or veneer crowns, in which a cap is fitted on the tooth.

Tooth decay in children is usually painless until the decay reaches deep into the pulp. If the decay is left untreated, an infection can develop as food from the mouth enters into the tooth pulp.

The "restorative" treatments are painful and scary for young children because they cannot understand what is happening.

Preventative Measures That Don't Work

Fluoride - a deadly poison, does not prevent tooth decay. Large and longer term studies show that fluoride use increases tooth decay, rather than decreases tooth decay. Why do children still get cavities in fluoridated communities if fluoride works? If fluoride really worked, all the dentists in fluoridated cities would go out of business because they would have so few customers.

Dental Sealants - I have not studied these enough to have a conclusive decision. While they cannot stop tooth decay from happening, they could protect damaged tooth from feeling pain or getting an infection. However, I am not a fan for putting chemicals into children's mouths. And I am unclear whether these chemicals have been proven safe for children.

Prevention That Does Work

Dietary Practices - Frequent use of sugar will contribute to tooth decay because it causes minerals to be pulled from the bones. Raw grass-fed cow milk, and breast milk do not cause childhood tooth decay.

ECC is A Preventable Disease

You can prevent early childhood caries. Prevention really begins before conception, when the mother and father-to-be eat foods rich in fat-soluble vitamins and rich in minerals. The parent's must also avoid and limit overly processed and denatured foods.

The diet as this time sets the stage for whether a child is susceptible to early childhood caries or not. Even still, a good diet after birth, will prevent cavities. You children's real teeth are priceless.

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