Oral manifestations of systemic alterations in early childhood.

AIM: This study aimed to describe certain common oral manifestations during early childhood that should be known by the pediatric dental surgeon. BACKGROUND: The correct diagnosis and treatment of oral manifestations during early childhood is important for children's development. The pediatric dentist is responsible for maintaining oral health in children, since they change constantly during their development and growth. CASE REPORT: Four cases of oral lesions are described, in which the diagnosis and related approach for each one is reported. The first was an acute primary herpetic gingivostomatitis, the second, pseudomembranous candidiasis, the third, chickenpox and the last was molluscum. CONCLUSION: Professionals who treat children in this age group must be able to diagnose and treat common oral manifestations when necessary and should refer the child to a pediatrician for effective treatment if the presence of any systemic alteration is suspected. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Pathognomonic signs of the most common oral manifestations in early childhood should be known by dentists to improve early diagnosis and proper management.

Prevalence of oral manifestations in soft tissues during early childhood in Brazilian children.

This study aimed at assessing the prevalence of soft tissue oral manifestations in children during early childhood, according to age group, gender, and site in the oral cavity, and at correlating these oral manifestations with systemic alterations. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 586 children from 0 to 3 years of age (12.4 ± 11.8 months), 316 (53.9%) male and 270 (46.1%) female, in the city of Mauá, SP, Brazil. Examination was performed by a single examiner (Kappa Index = 0.90) according to World Health Organization criteria (WHO, 1997).The prevalence of oral manifestations in the soft tissues of children during early childhood was 34.8%. The age group showing statistical significance was 0-1 months old (56.4%). Epstein's pearls were significantly present (43.2%) in 0-1-month-old babies, and gingivitis in 12-24-month-olds (15.9%). The palate was the most affected region (16.7%). Infectious alterations were the most prevalent systemic alteration (20%). An association was observed between the presence of systemic alterations and the occurrence of oral manifestations. The prevalence of oral manifestations was 34.8%, regardless of gender, and was manifested mostly in 0-1-month-old babies. The palate was the most prevalent region, and the majority of oral manifestations were associated with systemic alterations.