Maj Saravanan SP^1,, S Lokesh², Tejaswin Polepalle³, Akhilesh Shewale⁴

In the overall scheme of disease prevention, oral health is often overlooked. Oral health plays an important role in an individual’s overall health. More than 90 percent of all systemic diseases have oral manifestations. Many diseases can be diagnosed in their early stages through an oral examination. Oral diseases and conditions may have a significant impact on general health; some poor general health conditions also may affect oral health status. The oral cavity is a portal of entry as well as the site of disease for microbial infections that affect general health status. Oral diseases affecting children include dental caries, early childhood caries (baby bottle tooth decay), periodontal diseases, other soft tissue diseases, congenital malformations and oral and facial injuries incurred through sports activities and child abuse. Although these may not be life threatening, yet they cause lot of morbidity, psychological stress and their treatment is expensive. Most oral diseases and injuries can be prevented by the proper and timely use of scientifically based and widely accepted preventive and educational regimens and interventions. Overall, dental and oral health care in India is not in optimal condition. There is, therefore, an urgent need to prevent the rising dental diseases in India.

early childhood caries, caries prevalence, caries risk factors