Evaluation of Children Caries Risk Factors: A Narrative Review of Nutritional Aspects, Oral Hygiene Habits, and Bacterial Alterations

Abstract

Dental caries is one of the most common diseases—both in adults and children—that occurs due to the demineralization of enamel and dentine by the organic acids formed from bacteria present in dental plaques through anaerobic metabolism of dietary sugars. The aim of this article is to provide a guideline to assess the risk of caries by looking for the main factors involved. Literature research was performed for studies that analyzed the factors most involved in the development of child caries, such as poor oral hygiene, bad eating habits (or food disorders), and an alteration of the oral bacterial flora—with an increase of Streptococci spp., Lactobacilli spp., Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Candida sake. It is therefore essential to assess the risk of caries in children, based on the assessment of risk factors, in order to be able to establish preventive and/or therapeutic approaches that will reduce or stop the development of dental caries. The use of fluoride products, products made from casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate, substituted zinc biomimetic hydroxyapatite products, or products containing self-assembling oligopeptide SAP-P11-4 are useful. In terms of the clinical approach, a communicative approach should be added to learn about the eating habits and the oral hygiene habits of the child and parents; in addition, the use of a simple method to frame the factors involved, and subsequently establish the risk of carious lesions in the child, allows the reduction of the DMFT (Decayed Missing Filled Teeth) or ICDAS (International Caries Detection and Assessment System) index on large scales.