Behavior and progression of early carious lesions in early childhood: a 1-year follow-up study.

Purpose: The purpose of this 1-year follow-up study was to evaluate the behavior/progression of early carious lesions (active noncavitated carious lesions) by surface and type of tooth in early childhood.

Methods: A total of 179 3-and 4-year-old preschoolers took part in this study. Clinical examinations were conducted by a calibrated examiner using a mirror, ball-ended probe, gauze for cleaning and drying of teeth, and artificial light. The World Health Organization criteria, with an added measurement of early carious lesions (ECLs), were employed for the caries examinations. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used in the statistical analysis.

Results: After a 1-year follow-up, the study population developed 1.60 ± 1.64 new carious lesions. Children with caries activity at baseline showed much higher risks of developing new lesions than caries-free children (odds ratio=17.3 for ECL development, OR=24.5 for cavitations/fillings). Most ECLs remained active/unchanged after 1 year, whereas approximately 36% were arrested. Approximately 10% of the ECLs became cavitated, were filled, or were missing due to caries at follow-up. ECLs turned into cavities or fillings more frequently in the posterior region.

Conclusion: This study's findings support the conservative management of ECLs since, after 1 year, the majority of lesions were active/unchanged or were arrested on the smooth surfaces of primary teeth.