Public health issues in early childhood caries.

Early childhood caries (ECC) is primarily a disease of poor, minority population children who generally have limited access to dental services. Public health dental clinics have not made the prevention and control of ECC a priority, and the services provided have not controlled ECC. New training and early screening are recommended. Additionally, repeated accessing of mothers and children through prenatal and postnatal medical visits is recommended. At such visits behavioral and chemotherapeutic strategies need to be utilized. Examples from a demonstration project in the Commonwealth of Northern Marianas are presented.