PRE- AND POST-NATAL METHODS FOR PREVENTING EARLY CHILDHOOD CARIES

In general, the world recognizes the lack of preventive measures against dental caries in children, as evidenced by itsprevalence and intensity with a signifi cant range of fl uctuations.The aim of the study. To describe modern approaches to the prevention of early childhood dental caries in children basedon the analysis of foreign and domestic literature.Materials and methods. The study used the bibliosemantic method and structural and logical analysis. The electronicdatabases PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science and EMBASE were used to search modern scientifi c literature using the key words «early childhood caries», «macro and trace elements», «probiotics», «prenatal prevention», «postnatal prevention», «oral cavity microfl ora».Results and discussion. At this stage of caries development, the most eff ective prevention programs are those developedon the basis of methods to minimize the impact of risk factors for the development of the disease, such as microbial plaque,low resistance of dental tissues to demineralization, frequent consumption of carbohydrates. The practical implementation of comprehensive prevention programs is very diffi cult, as it should be carried out before the birth of a child and continue throughout life. Often the role of the dentist is to organize and monitor the program, while specifi c preventive measures can and should be implemented by health and education authorities, medical personnel, parents and educators. The greatest impact will be achieved through collaboration among specialists in various medical and non-medical fi elds.Conclusions. Based on the analysis of the literature, there is a great interest of the world’s leading scientists in the prevention of early childhood caries. However, the problems of developing adapted preventive measures taking into account etiologic factors remain relevant.