Enamel hypoplasia and caries in primary dentition

Early childhood caries (ECC) affects over 600 million children globally, with enamel hypoplasia and developmental defects of enamel (EH/DDE) identified as primary risk factors. In this article the urgent need for research on EH/DDE prevalence in primary dentition among children in the first 3 years of life is emphasized, using the example of two infants. The importance of disseminating this critical public health information to various stakeholders, including dentists, general medical professionals, allied healthcare workers and parents/caretakers, involved in ECC management is highlighted. Recent studies on sustained anticipatory guidance (SAG) and MAAC (Muthu Monica Ankita Aminah and Chimera) charts have shown promise in effectively communicating this information to parents and caregivers, potentially improving access to dental care for high-risk children. There is an immediate need for widespread dissemination of evidence-based knowledge regarding the role of enamel defects in ECC development, calling for prioritized action from all stakeholders to address this preventable public health concern.