Current state of topical antimicrobial therapy in management of early childhood caries.

The treatment of early childhood caries can have a significant economical burden and treatment relapses are frequent. Effective intervention by means of topical antimicrobial agents can reduce the burden of early childhood caries. The main aim in prevention and treatment should focus on inhibition of the growth of oral bacteria. This is a comprehensive review of the literature on the various antimicrobial agents which are proven to be effective in management of this carious progression. The review identified that there is a significant data to suggest use of antimicrobial agents in management of early childhood caries. Antimicrobial agents aid in better management of patients with early carious lesion. The relapse rates are less, when the treatment is combined with the use of antimicrobial agent.